Michigan Basketball: 3 takeaways from the magical win over Houston

Thanks to one of the greatest shots in Michigan basketball history, the Wolverines beat Houston and advanced to the Sweet 16.

If you a fan of Michigan basketball, then March 18, 2018, is a night you will remember for the rest of your life. It’s the night that Jordan Poole etched his name into Wolverines history forever.

After two missed free throws by Houston in the final seconds of the game, Michigan basketball had one last chance to get back to the Sweet 16. All hope seemed lost just seconds earlier, with the Wolverines down by two and Devin Davis at the free throw line.

In the NCAA Tournament, you need things to go your way sometimes and Saturday night, at least at the end of the game, things went the way of Michigan. Davis missed both free throws and luckily, the Wolverines had one timeout left.

John Beilein used it to run the same play Michigan ran to beat Maryland. It was designed to get Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman as close to the basket as possible. Isaiah Livers inbounded the ball and got it to Rahkman near halfcourt. That was a huge factor with just 3.6 seconds left to start.

Then Rahkman drove towards the middle of the floor, but two Houston defenders converged on him, leaving Poole open, 30 feet from the basket. In the recap of the game, Rahkman explained how he heard Poole calling for the ball and that he knew the freshman would make it.

Well, the senior made the perfect pass and Poole, the goofy, confident freshman, made the shot of his life. When it hit nothing but net, it gave life to a season that seemed dead.

Now the Wolverines will play either North Carolina or Texas A&M for a berth in the Elite 8. It’s the Wolverines fourth Sweet 16 in the last six years. Here’s a look back at Houston and the first weekend in general and three takeaways heading into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.