The Michigan Wolverines' basketball team will begin its quest for a third Big Ten Tournament title in four years when it takes on Rutgers this Thursday at noon in Indianapolis.
Here's a closer look at what's being said around the country about the Maize and Blue as they prepare for not only the Big Ten Tournament, but also the quickly-approaching NCAA Tournament.
"Now Michigan must decide which team it is. The NCAA tournament is rapidly approaching; this week's Big Ten tournament is the final opportunity for the Wolverines to change their trajectory.
"There are plenty of reasons to expect postseason success from the Wolverines: They have talented seniors at point guard and center. They have shooters who can get hot quickly. They have compiled a 30-5 record in neutral-site games over the past four seasons.
"There are also, perhaps, just as many signs that this season's team could be headed for an early exit.
"With the postseason providing a fresh start, Michigan hopes it can get back to its best basketball. And if it does, U-M has a 'chance to do something special,' according to [freshman guard Franz] Wagner and his teammates.
"'At some point, every team is going to go through it,' [head coach Juwan] Howard said. 'It happened to us. I think we’ve learned a lot, and I think we’ve gotten better through the adversity. We’re going to forge ahead. Now we have postseason play, and we’re looking forward to the opportunity.'"
"Michigan may be the more volatile team in terms of seed fluctuation. The Wolverines currently sit as the last 6-seed in my seed list. Michigan lost three of its final four regular season games and could certainly use a pick-me-up heading into the tournament.
"The Wolverines play Thursday at noon against Rutgers in a game that will carry a lot of weight. The Scarlet Knights are darn near close to a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but a win over Michigan would seal the deal. A loss likely wouldn't eliminate them, but they'd be left to sweat things out all weekend.
"Michigan, meanwhile, quietly needs a win in that game to stop the bleeding. The Wolverines (19-12, 10-10) are in a sketchy part of the bracket, where there are about nine teams that could conceivably end up on the 6-line with a successful conference tournament.
"A win or two could push the Wolverines up a seed-line, while a loss to Rutgers would almost certainly push them down at least one line, with loads of teams potentially still alive to keep passing them."
"The road to a higher seed than 6 or 7 in the tournament won’t be easy. If Michigan beats Rutgers on Thursday, they’ll have to take on No. 1 Wisconsin, who earned a double bye, the following day on Friday in the quarterfinals.
"Michigan lost to Wisconsin 81-74 on Feb. 27 at Crisler Center. If the Wolverines make a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament and rattle off wins versus the Badgers and other higher ranked teams, they’d likely move up to at least a 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament.
"The seeding situation is still a fluid one for Michigan and far from decided. This is the time of year where you better get hot and stay hot or your season is over. The 19-12 Wolverines have gotten piping hot around this time under former head coach John Beilein, with Big Ten Tournament championships propelling them to extended runs in March Madness.
"However, this is a new era, Juwan Howard is in his first year at the helm, and it remains to be seen how a Howard team performs when the lights start shining the brightest in March."
Kenyon projects Michigan to reach the Big Ten Tournament championship game as a 9-seed, before falling to 2-seeded MSU.
"If you have any confidence in the predictions for the Big Ten tournament, congratulations! Because, wow, what a glorious disaster this upcoming week could be. Give us all the mayhem.
"Normally, a suggestion of a No. 9 seed toppling the No. 1 would be eye-popping. But in this case, predicting a Michigan to upset Wisconsin probably isn't all that stunning. That's our biggest upset pick, though Indiana edging Penn State in the second round is worth mentioning."
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