High stakes for Michigan as they take on Illinois

Despite a rough start to the season, after a 6-2 stretch in February the Wolverines currently sit alone at #2 in the Big Ten standings. The top 4 teams receive a double bye in the Big Ten Tournament. A win tonight would get Michigan closer to securing that extra day off. In fact, Michigan has a still statistical probability of sharing the Big Ten regular season championship if they win their final two games and Purdue were to lose theirs.

Of course, all eyes are peaking to march madness and the National Tournament.

Michigan has played themselves into the bubble with three straight wins against Michigan State, Rutgers, and Wisconsin. They are currently 4-9 in quad 1 games with their glaring quad 4 loss to Central Michigan staining their resume.

A win against Illinois would give them another road quad 1 victory, and likely place them in the "last 4 in" territory, or the play in portion of the bracket. It can get more complicated depending on other results, but that appears to be the most likely outcome.

A loss, and Michigan goes from just outside the tournament to somewhere around 5th or 6th team out. Michigan would fall behind Big Ten teams Wisconsin and Penn State and hurt their future seeding in the Big Ten Tournament. That would make Indiana nothing short of a must win, with Michigan's path after two losses surely being only an automatic bid by winning the Big Ten Tournament.

Looking ahead to Michigan's final game against Indiana, you'd love to be playing for a 5th straight win and a secured double bye in the Big Ten Tournament. If Michigan were to win these next two games, they would be the 2 seed in Big Ten Tournament, 6-9 in quad 1 games, and not only in the tournament, but likely a 9 or 10 seed with potential to move even higher with wins in the Big Ten Tournament. The variance of safe in the tournament to not in at all is incredible with only two games left in the regular season.

Of course you can't win both games if you don't win the first one. Michigan is playing their best basketball at the right time, and players have not pretended they don't know what is at stake.

The Wolverines will take on the Illini at 7pm est. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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