It has been a rollercoaster run of games for Wolverines fans. First, it was the thrill of a satisfying win on the road against Purdue. Then the crushing close loss to a championship-caliber Duke team in Washington D.C., and most recently, a muted 10-point win against an undermanned Minnesota team at Crisler earlier this week, which was a great deal closer than anyone expected.
But all of that gets pushed to the background tonight.
The matchup between Michigan basketball and Illinois this evening has so much at stake. The Wolverines have lost nine straight against the Illini; their last win was in 2019.