ANN ARBOR, Mich. – March Madness arrives early for the No. 17-ranked Michigan Wolverines as they prepare for a crucial one-game elimination matchup against the No. 13-ranked Maryland Terrapins.
Despite having two games left in the 2024-25 season, the Wolverines find themselves in a must-win situation after a disappointing 93-73 loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini on Senior Day.
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If the Wolverines win on Wednesday (March 5), they will play for the Big Ten Conference championship to end the season. Thus, the Maryland matchup is pivotal for Michigan’s championship hopes.
Michigan (22-7, 14-4 Big Ten) is one game behind the No. 8-ranked Michigan State Spartans (24-5, 15-3 Big Ten) in the conference standings.
The Wolverines are set to face the Spartans on March 9 at the Breslin Center in East Lansing.
However, before that, they must first overcome the challenge posed by the Terrapins in their final home game of the season.
Head coach Dusty May expressed optimism about the opportunity ahead, stating, “What a great opportunity this week. Maryland, who is an extremely talented, well-coached, fun team to watch coming in on Wednesday, and then a chance to go into East Lansing with a championship on the line if we can take care of business and hold it down at home.”
The Wolverines have had several chances to secure their path to the championship but have often found themselves in precarious situations.
Despite finishing February with a 9-3 record, many of their victories were narrow, with nine wins by less than four points.
In the recent game against Illinois, Michigan struggled on the glass, allowing 19 offensive rebounds. Additionally, their shooting has been inconsistent, failing to reach 35% from long range since January.
“We need to play better,” May said. “We need to play with more physicality. We haven’t made 35% from three since January 27. So you know, the only thing we’ve been talking about when it comes to defining moments is that championships bond them for life as brothers.”
At one point in the season, the Wolverines were riding high. They were on a six-game winning streak and welcomed the Spartans into Crisler Arena, where they were 12-0 for the first time in program history.
The Wolverines were atop the conference and looked like a fine-oiled machine ahead of their home matchup vs. the Spartans.
Coming into that game, May signed a contract extension hours before tip-off, but the team was blitzed from the start, losing by 13 points and falling half a game behind the Spartans.
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With that said, no matter how the Wolverines got here, be it the dominant performance of Vladislav Goldin, who dropped 22 points against Illinois, and the clutch shot-making by Nimari Burnett, or the lackluster play of Danny Wolf, Tre Donaldson, and Roddy Gayle, Jr., May remains confident in his team.
“I think everyone on our roster has more in the tank. I think I can coach and perform better, and I think everyone on our roster can play and perform better. I think everybody on our roster knows that we can play better right now. You never know when that moment is going to be there for you once we really find our niche, get healthy, and find that rhythm again.”
