Michigan no stranger to pressure-packed games

Ann Arbor — If Michigan has learned anything from last season it’s that anything can happen.

Entering the final week of the regular season, the Wolverines find themselves on the right side of most NCAA Tournament projections, but they know nothing is guaranteed.

Last year Michigan had a 19-7 record with three weeks to go before it lost four of five down the stretch, including its final two regular-season games, before needing an upset over top-seeded Indiana in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals to sneak into the Big Dance.

In fact, the Wolverines were 20-9 heading into their last two contests in Big Ten play. Almost one year to date, it’s a similar scenario as Michigan sits at 19-10.

Yet, with three guaranteed games remaining — at Northwestern tonight, at Nebraska on Sunday and in the Big Ten tournament next week — Michigan is hoping to avoid tumbling to the finish line and sweating out Selection Sunday again.

Michigan coach John Beilein said he doesn’t even refer to what happened last year around this time. With starters Derrick Walton Jr., Zak Irvin, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, D.J. Wilson and Moritz Wagner and key contributors Mark Donnal and Duncan Robinson all back, not much needs to be said about persevering through the pressure-packed moments.

“They know we're in a situation right now that we got to play,” Beilein said. “Actually, we've been playing our best when we know our backs are to the wall and our back is still solidly to the wall.”

Since hitting a low point and falling two games under .500 in Big Ten play following a crushing home loss to Ohio State on Feb. 4, Michigan has bounced back to win five of six. It picked up signature victories over ranked Wisconsin and Purdue teams, pummeled Michigan State, recorded wins at Indiana and Rutgers, and nearly notched a signature road win at Minnesota.

Abdur-Rahkman said unlike last year when Michigan needed help to slip into the postseason, the Wolverines control their fate but there’s a familiar feeling knowing they need these remaining games.

“We just have that mindset that we're not done yet,” Abdur-Rahkman said. “We're not going to become complacent where we're at right now. We want to be better.”

Wilson added while it’s hard to avoid all the NCAA Tournament speculation, there isn’t as much doom and gloom looming and the team has another level of confidence knowing it has been through this before.

“I think last year it was kind of more doubtful at this time…and players were more stressed,” Wilson said. “We're just more focused. Who knows what can happen from here on out? We're just taking it one game at a time trying to up our seed or just trying to earn a spot in the tournament.”

And just a month ago when everything was seeming to unravel, tournament talk was on the back-burner. That all changed when the players realized “they just had to do a little bit more,” Beilein said.

"Whether it was the Ohio State game, the loss at Wisconsin, some of the losses that we had, I think maybe it all sort of clicked,” Beilein said. “They needed to be put in that situation to say, 'OK, we all do have another level.'

“I think they just dug down in themselves and at the same time shots have fallen for us. It's just a matter sometimes of a shot falling or what happens if we make foul shots at Minnesota? There's a lot of things that are not mental. It's just stuff happens, and stuff is happening the right way for us.”

The same couldn’t be said of Northwestern. The Wildcats are in the midst of a two-game slide and desperately clawing for the program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament, while the surging Wolverines look to keep rolling against the conference’s second-stingiest defense.

“You got two great story lines going on,” Beilein said. “Both teams solidly working like crazy on the bubble trying to build their resume. I'm sure it's going to be an exciting game and I hope we end up with a win.”

And, more importantly, a better finish.

Michigan at Northwestern

Tip-off: Wednesday, 7 p.m., Welsh-Ryan Arena, Evanston, Ill.

TV/radio: BTN/WWJ 950

Records: Michigan 19-10 (9-7 Big Ten), Northwestern 20-9 (9-7)

Outlook: Michigan coach John Beilein is one win away from tying Johnny Orr’s career program mark of 209 victories. The Wolverines have won nine of the past 10 meetings…Northwestern is seeking its first NCAA Tournament berth but has lost five of seven. The Wildcats are led by junior guards Scottie Lindsey (14.4 points) and Bryant McIntosh (14.3 points).

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