The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MARCH 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 81 I t is incredible how much end- game luck can swing in one year. It can sabotage an entire season one year and help carry a team to the top of the league standings and title contention the next. In the last two seasons of the Ju- wan Howard era, Michigan men's basketball was miserable in close contests. The Wolverines endured a stretch where they went 1-11 in 12 games decided by four points or fewer. These losses were not just frustrating. They were head- scratching, with many occurring after inexplicable collapses. They were too much to overcome. They led to an early NIT exit in 2022-23 and the losingest season in school history in 2023-24 ending with Howard's ouster. Initially in head coach Dusty May's debut season at Michigan, it seemed it would be more of the same. The Wolverines' first four de- feats were all by fewer than four points and came by a combined eight points. Also, they all happened after Michigan squandered earlier double-digit leads, and none was worse than when U-M surrendered a four-point play when up three in the final seconds versus Okla- homa. Even with a new head man and near- total roster overhaul, very similar men- tal mistakes and miscues were still pop- ping up for the Wolverines at the most pivotal moments. Despite winning two tight Big Ten games early in the con- ference slate, they saw those victories overshadowed by their other late-game wobbles and what-ifs about their po- tential. This is no longer happening after a re- markable midwinter stretch. Since Jan. 17, Michigan was 7-1 overall, including being victors in its last six games — all of those wins coming by four or fewer points. Suddenly, the Maize and Blue have shifted from being the chumps in competitive contests to the kings of close ones. Even though a couple of those wins were only tight in the final score after the opponent hit a triple in the dying seconds when the game was decided, the Wolverines have been do- ing just enough to keep eking it out. As a result, Michigan was tied for the most wins by four or fewer points in the country this season. Their nine such W's are tied with Princeton and UC Riverside at the top of this list. In fact, only 160 times since 1938-39 has a school earned at least nine wins by four or fewer points in a single season. This is just the second Wolverines group to achieve it. Michigan also se- cured nine such wins in 2013-14 when it conquered the Big Ten and advanced to the Elite Eight. For the record, U-M would need four more wins by four or fewer to match 1985-86 Bradley's top mark of 13. What is even more incredible (or lucky) is that Michigan has won six con- secutive games by such slim margins. It is hard enough to win six straight games. It is nearly impossible to win all six when one bounce here or one whistle there can change the result of the con- test. According to CBS Sports' Matt Norlander, Michigan has matched the sport's longest streak by win- ning six straight by no more than four points. No one has won this many close games in a row like U-M. The reason or formula for this miraculous streak is hard to quan- tify. It is likely a variety of factors. May's out-of-bounds plays and calm demeanor on the sideline may boost the team's ability to execute in critical possessions. U-M is one of the nation's best shooting teams and can set up good looks around the rim for its 7-footers in Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin. The roster is clicking more after the bevy of incoming transfers had time to jell in the early months. The Wolverines learned from their early mistakes in close losses to navigate wins now. And luck. Much of it probably comes down to luck. And even though it is said that it is better to be lucky than good, the problem is that at some point, probably soon, that luck can run out. Nevertheless, the Maize and Blue, one year after being by far the worst team in the Big Ten, have skyrocketed to the top of the league standings. They were 12-2 in the Big Ten with a full-game lead on Michigan State as of Feb. 17. The Wol- verines and Spartans tipped off in Ann Arbor on Feb. 21, and given MSU's dif- ficult remaining schedule, a win would put Michigan firmly in the driver's seat in the race to win the Big Ten regular- season crown. The Wolverines may only be fringe national title contenders — they have dropped from 10th to 22nd on KenPom during their run of close victories — but this historic win streak has them close to completing one of the most drastic single-season turnarounds in school history and hanging a banner. ❑ INSIDE THE NUMBERS ❱ DREW HALLETT A Historic Streak Of Close Wins Roddy Gayle Jr. came up with this loose ball in U-M's 75-73 win against Purdue Feb. 11. That effort embodied the team's grit during its remarkable streak when it won six consecutive games by a margin of four points or fewer. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Staff writer Drew Hallett has covered Michigan athletics since 2013. Contact him at drew.c.hallett@gmail.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @DrewCHallett.