After Michigan basketball's win against Ohio State, on Sunday afternoon, something became abundantly clear. This team is a Final Four team, right?
The 22-1 record makes that self-evident. But even more so than that, is that the Michigan Wolverines look like a team. They embody the word. In the college basketball landscape, where the word team can be used loosely, the Wolverines actually look like one.
In their game against Ohio State, what was clear was that teams in the Big Ten find it hard to compete with the Wolverines defensively and offensively. More than that, the Michigan Wolverines have a competitive edge. The fight this team has is unmatched.
So, pencil it in, right? The Wolverines are going to the Final Four.
It feels eerily like a case of deja vu. There have been plenty of Michigan basketball teams that looked like they could be national champions. Even last year, to say that the team didn't have some characteristics of a championship team would be amiss. Any Wolverine fan has seen this movie before and then, unfortunately, regretted buying the tickets. One thing is for certain, though: there's something about this team that feels real. If there is no better word for it.
By February 21, when the Wolverines face the Duke Blue Devils, the team should still only have one loss. Their next games being against Northwestern, UCLA, and Purdue. Those are all conceivable wins. And though, the Blue Devils, are reeling from a loss to North Carolina, they are still the Duke Blue Devils. Once again, a talented team. Once again in the nation's top rankings. Once again with a superstar player. It could easily be Michigan's biggest test. Will it rise to the challenge?
Final Four.
It's only February but no time like the present, right?