ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The No. 15-ranked University of Michigan men’s basketball team (22-6, 14-3 Big Ten) begins March playing the middle game of a three-game homestand as Illinois (18-11, 10-8 Big Ten) comes to Crisler Center on Sunday (March 2). The game, which will also honor U-M’s seniors, is set for a 3:50 p.m. tip on CBS.
Notes
• Michigan is tied atop the Big Ten standings with Michigan State at 14-3.
• U-M is in the middle of a three-game homestand that includes Rutgers (W, 84-82), Illinois (March 2) and Maryland (March 5). The regular season closes at Michigan State (March 9). U-M has not had back-to-back home games since the end of December.
• Michigan went 2-1 during a seven-day stretch that included three games. U-M fell to Michigan State (75-62) before its seventh road win at Nebraska (W, 49-46). The stretch ended after a dramatic buzzer-beating win against Rutgers (W, 84-82).
• A Michigan win would snap an eight-game losing streak against Illinois. U-M’s last win over the Illini was six years, one month and 20 days ago. That last U-M win was Jan. 10, 2019 (79-69) in Champaign. It was the last of a four-game winning streak and the final game of a 13-2 series run for U-M against Illinois.
• U-M’s game with Illinois will be the ninth sellout at “The House the Cazzie Built” — the most in two seasons. It is the 15th season (58 total) with eight-plus sellouts.
• Dusty May‘s 14 Big Ten wins give him the most conference victories for a first-year Michigan head coach. May bettered Steve Fisher (12-6, 1989-90).
• In his last four games, Vladislav Goldin has three 20-plus point games, three 10-plus rebound games and two double-doubles. During that stretch, he shot 65.9 percent from the field and grabbed 36 total rebounds (14 offensive, 22 defensive) with five blocks.
• Danny Wolf (12.6 ppg and 9.8 rpg) is second in the Big Ten with 12 double-doubles (Maryland’s Julian Reese, 13). Wolf has 15 of U-M’s 21 10-plus rebound games.
• After a midseason stretch with six straight games making 10-plus three-pointers, U-M has only one over its last 11. During the six-game stretch, U-M had 76 (12.7) three-pointers (46.3 percent). In the last 11 games, U-M has 75 (6.8) three-pointers (28.3 percent).
• Goldin is shooting 64.3 percent, leading the Big Ten and ranking sixth nationally.
• With 105 assists, Wolf (3.8 apg) surpassed the century mark. He has 10 games with five-plus assists, four with seven-plus, and a career-best nine vs. Arkansas (Dec. 10). Wolf trails Tre Donaldson (112; 4.0 apg).
• Wolf has 40 assists to Goldin — the most between any two Wolverines.
