Winning the Big Ten championship requires winning games on the road. So far, in Big Ten play, Michigan basketball has done that four times.
All four of those wins over UCLA, USC, Rutgers, and Wisconsin are quad-1 victories. The Wolverines can add another Saturday against the Indiana Hoosiers, who will have a new head coach next season but are still on the bubble for the NCAA tournament.
Dusty May has plenty of ties to Indiana. He went to school there and was a team manager under Bob Knight. Heck, his mom still lives in Bloomington and he's been included on recent hot boards for the Indiana job.
May said Michigan is going to win "a freaking basketball game and that's it." With Purdue at 11-2, two games up in the win column on Michigan State and Michigan, there is no margin for error. The Boilermakers come to Crisler on Tuesday, so win this game and a showdown awaits.
Here are three keys and a prediction for Michigan basketball vs. Indiana.
Win extra possession battle
Indiana is a team that likes to play big. 7-foot Oumar Ballo is their leading scorer. Mackenzie Mgbako (6-8) and Malik Reneau (6-9) are all part of the starting lineup. The Hoosiers take the second-most 2-point attempts in Big Ten play and are also third in offensive rebounding.
Michigan has excelled in 2-point defense (49.1 percent allowed) which ranks fourth during Big Ten games. However, the Wolverines rank dead last in the Big Ten in offensive rebounds allowed per game (9.9).
Michigan basketball also leads the Big Ten in turnovers per game during conference play (14.1). We saw that issue come up again in the second half versus Oregon.
So the first key is winning the battle of extra possessions. Don't allow a ton of offensive rebounds and try to keep the turnovers around 10.
Start strong
Indiana is going through a brutal stretch of games. The Hoosiers have lost six of seven games, are currently projected to miss the NCAA tournament and just learned that their head coach will retire at the end of the season, which saved him from getting fired.
Indiana is a talented team with seven top-100 prospects on the roster. But the Hoosiers have been up-and-down at best during the Woodson era and this team is no different.
That's why a strong start is essential. Don't allow Indiana, a pretty talented team, to get confident. We've seen what can happen on the road (Minnesota) so even if a team is playing poorly, in the Big Ten, it doesn't matter. Any team 1-18 can beat any other.
U-M learned that lesson the hard way and they need to play with the intensity of a championship game because there are just nine games left, and the Wolverines ARE in the championship hunt.
They have won three straight games by four points or fewer. We'll see if Saturday is another grind, but if it is, getting out with a win won't be easy.
Take advantage of a weak defense
The Hoosiers aren't a good defensive team. They rank last among Big Ten teams in scoring defense in conference play, allowing 78 points per game. Their 2-point defense (54.2) is 12th-best in the league, while the 3-point defense (35.5) is 11th.
Indiana is good at keeping teams off the free throw line and also at cleaning up the defensive glass but that's about it. Indiana also forces just 9.8 turnovers per game. Indiana's overall field-goal percentage defense is 15th in the Big Ten and the Wovlerines offense should dominate.
Indiana will certainly try to be extra physical with Vlad Goldin inside. That's been effective with some teams, but as long as the Wolverines are knocking down shows from the perimeter, and protecting the ball, they should walk away with a win.