Michigan basketball is heading into its most pivotal stretch of the season, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. With two top-10 matchups on deck - including a showdown with undefeated Nebraska and a Friday night clash at Michigan State - the Wolverines are staring down a week that could define their Big Ten title hopes.
Right now, Michigan, No. 7 Nebraska, and No.
10 Michigan State are three of the last four teams in the Big Ten with either zero or one loss in conference play. That’s elite company, and the margin for error is razor-thin.
Every possession, every rebound, every trip to the free-throw line matters just a little bit more.
Head coach Dusty May knows this, but he’s keeping the focus tight. When he met with the media, there was no talk of Friday’s rivalry matchup in East Lansing. It was all about Tuesday’s test against the Cornhuskers - and for good reason.
Nebraska: A Perfect 20-0 and Dangerous in Transition
Nebraska isn’t just undefeated. They’re 20-0 for the first time in program history, and they’ve done it by flipping the script on what Big Ten basketball typically looks like. Instead of grinding it out in the half court, Fred Hoiberg’s squad is racing up the floor, shooting threes in transition, and spacing opponents out with a modern five-out system.
“They might be number one in the country in transition 3-point shots,” May said. “They don’t really slow it down.”
That pace is a problem for a Michigan team that relies on size and rim protection. In most matchups, the Wolverines can retreat to the paint and force teams to beat them through traffic.
But against Nebraska? That’s a dangerous game.
With shooters at every position, the Cornhuskers make you guard the entire floor - and they make you do it fast.
“If you run back to the paint in transition defense, you’re going to be looking around trying to find someone to guard, and we’re going to be off balance all night,” May explained.
The Frontcourt Battle: Mara & Johnson vs. Mast & Büyüktuncel
The matchup in the frontcourt will be one to watch. Michigan boasts serious size with Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr., but Nebraska counters with a pair of 6-foot-10 bigs in Rienk Mast and Berke Büyüktuncel - both of whom can stretch the floor.
Mast missed all of last season recovering from knee surgery, but his return has been a game-changer. May noted that Nebraska was already on the cusp of being an NCAA Tournament-caliber team last year, and Mast might’ve been the missing piece.
“You factor in Berke from UCLA, Rienk Mast,” May said. “Nebraska was on the verge last year of having a team that could advance in [the] NCAA Tournament, and with [Mast] they would have.”
That ability to play inside-out with size that doesn’t clog the lane is what makes Nebraska so tough to guard. It forces Michigan’s bigs to defend in space - not exactly their comfort zone - and it pulls shot-blockers away from the rim, neutralizing one of the Wolverines’ biggest strengths.
Michigan’s Keys: Growth on the Glass and at the Line
While the focus is on Nebraska’s firepower, Michigan has some internal improvements to make as well. May pointed to two areas where his team still has room to grow: offensive rebounding and free-throw shooting.
Those are the kinds of details that decide games in February and March. A second-chance bucket here, a pair of missed free throws there - they add up. And in a game like this, where margins are thin and momentum swings quickly, those little things could be the difference between a signature win and a missed opportunity.
One bright spot for the Wolverines has been the emergence of graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who May said has found another gear recently. If Lendeborg can bring energy on the boards and help stretch the floor himself, he could be a key X-factor in slowing down Nebraska’s tempo and keeping Michigan in control.
What’s at Stake
This week is more than just two games. It’s a measuring stick for where Michigan stands in the Big Ten hierarchy.
Beat Nebraska, and the Wolverines hand the Cornhuskers their first loss while making a statement of their own. Win at Michigan State, and they solidify themselves as a true contender.
But it starts Tuesday. Dusty May knows that.
His team knows that. And if they can match Nebraska’s pace, defend the perimeter, and clean up the little things, they’ll give themselves a shot to take down the last unbeaten team in the conference.
The road to the Big Ten title is heating up - and Michigan’s right in the thick of it.