Michigan's performance against Minnesota wasn't perfect, but the Wolverines will hang a Big Ten championship banner all the same.
The only question now is whether Michigan basketball will win the Big Ten championship outright or if the Wolverines will have to settle for a share of the league championship.
At this point, following the 77-67 win over Minnesota, the magic number is one. Michigan needs to win one of its last three games to clinch the regular-season title, and the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
Wrapping that up was one of the preseason goals. It wasn't easy. Michigan basketball is 26-2. However, Tuesday's win wasn't pretty. It was littered with turnovers and defensive lapses.
It wasn't the kind of game that made you feel like Michigan could change Saturday's result. Minnesota controlled the tempo and forced Michigan to play the game it wanted.
Minnesota made 12 3-pointers (35 percent). Michigan basketball made 14 (42 percent). That was the difference in the game. That and offensive rebounds, where the Wolverines had a 9-1 advantage.
Michigan's bench dominated, too. Yet, the Wolverines still won by just 10 points. Give Minnesota credit. They battled. Michigan probably overlooked a team missing six players.
Still, a win is a win. A Big Ten championship is hard to win. Games like this are part of it, and here are the gut reactions to a 77-67 win for the Wolverines.
Gut reactions as Michigan clinches Big Ten title
Trey McKenney and L.J. Cason were the X Factor: I didn't love the defense of McKenney. It felt like he was being too aggressive at times and allowed his man into the paint too easily. He wasn't the only one. Yet, he made four 3-pointers coming off the bench. Cason did the same. The tandem combined for 26 points, which was part of a 35-point effort from the bench (35-0).
3-point shooting turned it around: Minnesota was down by just four points at the half. Michigan wasn't shooting lights out, and if it didn't, this might be a 40-minute game. The 3-point shooting turned that around. Elliot Cadeau did his part, too, in the second half, as a scorer and playmaker. It was encouraging to see the Wolverines make 14 3-pointers. Minnesota only allowed 25 2-point attempts. They dared the Wolverines to win from beyond the arc, and they did.
That defense wouldn't beat Duke: After surrendering 68 points to Duke, it's not great to turn around and give up 67 to Minnesota. It was a short possession game. The Golden Gophers made 12 treys, and too many of them were open. Dusty May tried to speed things up with the press. It might have worn down Minnesota and led to a pair of turnovers, but for the most part, Minnesota got good shots out of it. The Wolverines will just need to defend at a higher level than that to get where they want to go.
Dusty May is a legend: In two seasons, Dusty May has won a Big Ten tournament title, a regular-season title, and has had this year's team ranked No. 1. Hard to believe after eight wins in 2023-24.