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Wolverines on a roll as season enters final stretch

By Paul Barger
Daily Sports Writer

It is amazing what a couple of victories will do.

After a monthlong slump that saw the virtual collapse of the Michigan men's basketball team, there is reason for optimism.

After Tuesday's thumping of intrastate rival Michigan State, the Wolverines (8-7 Big Ten, 18-10 overall) are on the verge of their fifth straight NCAA Tournament berth.

The Michigan players are convinced that they deserve the bid, but it's still in the hands of the NCAA selection committee, which will pick the 64-team field March 10.

That is the day after the Wolverines finish the regular season at home against Wisconsin.

Before that, Michigan travels to Illinois Sunday and Northwestern March 6. The trouble that Steve Fisher's squad has had on the road makes both of these games intriguing.

If the Wolverines can win their last three games, they would probably get bracketed as a No. 5 or No. 6 seed. They would also have won their last five games, giving them a lot of momentum.

"If we play like we did (against Michigan State), we can play with anybody in the country," sophomore Travis Conlan said. "If we play like that, I don't want to be the team that faces us in the first round."

The Illini have other plans for Michigan. Illinois struggled at the beginning of the conference season but has played its way back into tournament contention. Sunday's game against Michigan is a must-win.

Added incentive for the Illini is the retirement of longtime head coach Lou Henson. Henson will step down at the end of the season, and his players do not want to see his outstanding career culminate in the NIT.

"This will be the first home game since he made the announcement," Fisher said. "It will be extra emotional for everybody. It will be important for us to come out in control."

The Wolverines handled Illinois the first time the teams met, 83-68. But that was in Ann Arbor and the Illini were playing without their best player, starting point guard Kiwane Garris, who will be in the lineup Sunday.

Northwestern (2-14, 7-18) is struggling once again and has shown no signs of improvement. However, the Wildcats are in a position to spoil Michigan's season.

Three years ago, the Wolverines traveled to Northwestern on the last day of the season with a chance to tie for the Big Ten title.

The Wildcats upset the Wolverines in overtime en route to an NIT berth and relegated Michigan to a disappointing second-place finish.

Since then, Ricky Byrdsong's team has been rather unimpressive and has been blown-out three straight times by the Wolverines.

The most recent debacle produced a 83-51 Michigan win on Jan 6.

Wisconsin (7-8, 15-12) has been a surprise to many this year. Expected to be a conference doormat after losing Michael Finley and Rashard Griffith, the Badgers have been more than respectable all season.

Much of the credit goes to freshman Sam Okey. Okey leads the Badgers in points, blocks and rebounds and is a leading candidate for Big Ten Freshman of the Year. If Wisconsin can win its last three games, it will have 18 wins and an outside chance at the NCAAs.

Michigan is almost assured of an NCAA bid, but the coming week is important.

If the Wolverines lose to Illinois Sunday, they will have to win at least one and maybe both games against the Wildcats and Badgers.