Michigan stands just one win away from completing its two-year journey from the Big Ten basement to the penthouse under Dusty May.
The No. 3 Wolverines (26-2, 16-1) clinched a share of their first conference crown since 2021 with Tuesday’s victory over Minnesota, but they can have it all to themselves by beating No. 10 Illinois (22-6, 13-4), one of their closest pursuers, on Friday night in Champaign, Ill.
It’s a remarkable climb from Michigan’s 2023-24 season, which ended with the program’s worst winning percentage (.250) since 1960-61 and a last-place finish in the Big Ten — 14 games behind a Purdue squad that went all the way to the NCAA Tournament title game.
The Wolverines look worthy of going similarly far this March, so don’t be surprised if they don’t celebrate too much if they win Friday.
“We have such big and lofty goals in front of us, so it’s tough to really celebrate this moment,” May said following Tuesday’s 77-67 victory. “All glory is fleeting. As soon as we start to feel good about what we’ve done, we’re going to get knocked down.
“Every game, every possession, is incredibly important going forward. We’re trying to stay locked in on improving while also feeling good about doing something that’s really, really difficult.”
While the conference race is Friday’s headline, Michigan sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr. will attract everyone’s eyeballs from start to finish.
Johnson committed to Illinois in 2021 when he was an all-state sophomore at Chicago’s St. Rita High School. Illini fans were elated at the time — and loved Johnson even more for his beast-like behavior around the rim during his freshman year at Illinois.
The 6-foot-9, 255-pound powerhouse averaged 7.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in just 17.6 minutes per game off the bench as he sprinted from end to end to pile up offensive rebounds and spectacular blocks.
Johnson reportedly agreed to an NIL deal to return to Illinois for this season, but he entered the transfer portal last March and soon announced his transfer to Michigan.
Starting alongside 7-foot-3 Aday Mara and 6-foot-9 Yaxel Lendeborg in Michigan’s frontcourt, Johnson has emerged as Michigan’s No. 2 scorer (13.3 points) and rebounder (7.3) while playing 24.4 minutes per game.
“Morez is talented,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said in the preseason. “A very good athlete, very good rebounder. You know, it probably starts with blocking him out and not letting him outrun you. Terrific competitor. Tons of respect for Morez and a good player. He’ll be a handful.”
While Johnson obviously provides value to any team, his departure allowed Illinois to wholeheartedly embrace its five-out offensive approach.
Depending on how the matchups look, Underwood relies on freshman forward David Mirkovic (12.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists) to initiate the possessions that aren’t triggered by freshman point guard Keaton Wagler (18.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists).
“They hunt matchups,” May said. “We’re going to know who (Illinois) thinks on our team are inept defenders … because they’re going to hunt those matchups. And when the shot goes up, you’ve heard me talk about feudal warfare? It is feudal warfare every time that ball goes up. They’re not accepting blockouts. They’re not accepting anything other than maximum effort going towards that ball.”
