Here are five reasons Michigan Basketball is a dark horse national championship contender

While winning the Big Ten title is the primary focus right now, the Michigan Wolverines are dark horse NCAA championship contenders. Here are five reasons why:

Exactly a year ago today, the Michigan men’s basketball team was 8-18. The Wolverines were basement dwellers in the Big Ten and didn’t win a game after Feb. 7, finishing the regular season with an 8-24 overall record and a 3-17 Big Ten record, breaking the program record for losses in a single season. Juwan Howard was fired after Michigan posted its fewest conference wins since going 2-12 in 1966-67.

To see where this program is just a year later is astounding. In his first year, Dusty May has led the Wolverines to a 20-5 record. Currently on a six-game winning streak, with each victory being by four points or less, the Wolverines are in first place in the Big Ten. One month before Selection Sunday, the Selection Committee projects them to be a four-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

To say the vibes are good is an understatement. And as May said after Michigan’s most recent win in Columbus , the Wolverines are “chasing something bigger.”

Winning the Big Ten title is obviously the focus right now, but let’s zoom out a bit. A month before March Madness kicks off, let’s break down five reasons why the Wolverines are dark horse national championship contenders.

The Area 50-1 pick-and-roll is unguardable

Michigan gets consistent good looks out of the Danny Wolf-Vlad Goldin pick-and-roll because of Wolf’s court vision and Goldin’s finishing ability. One 7-footer keeping the ball high and finding another 7-footer off the roll near the rim is one of the most unguardable plays in college basketball.

Wolf has recently been projected to be a first-round pick in the NBA Draft , posting 11 double-doubles on the season while ranking second on the team in assists per game (3.6). Goldin has scored 15 points or more in nine of Michigan’s 14 conference games, proving to be a model of consistency in these physical Big Ten matchups.

Wolf’s playmaking and Goldin’s ability to finish plays are a match made in heaven. And with the offense that duo provides, Michigan’s offense can keep up with any team in the country.

Tre Donaldson is a takeover guard built for March

Even the most casual March Madness viewers know you need a guard that can take over late in close games and make big shots, and the Wolverines have that with their starting point guard.

Tre Donaldson showcased his takeover ability in the Penn State win , putting Michigan on his back and hitting clutch shots to lead to a home victory.

While the point guard needs to be more consistent late in games, guards like Donaldson thrive in the tournament setting.

Michigan is extremely efficient on offense and can score in bunches thanks to its depth

The trio mentioned above leading the Wolverines in scoring aren’t the only ones who can light up the scoreboard. Ranking ninth in the country in effective field goal percentage (56.9 percent) — which gives three-pointers more worth since they are worth more points — and fifth in two-point field goal percentage (59.1 percent) on KenPom , the Wolverines get good shots and knock them down.

Michigan has a slew of role players that can beat you. Nimari Burnett is one of the most efficient shooters in the country, Roddy Gayle Jr. and Rubin Jones give Michigan quality minutes on both ends, Will Tschetter has been Michigan’s most consistent player off the bench, and Sam Walters, L.J. Cason and Justin Pippen can provide instant offense in short spurts.

Depth is crucial come tournament time so teams can manage foul trouble and try new lineups if one is struggling. The depth Michigan has is one of its many strengths heading into March.

The Wolverines know how to win close games

All of Michigan’s last six wins have come by four points or less. The Wolverines are 9-4 in games decided by four points or less, with U-M making winning plays, getting stops and scoring key buckets late in these tight contests.

While it would be more ideal for the Wolverines to win more handily, playing all these close games gives Michigan valuable late-game reps. The Wolverines won’t panic if they encounter a close game in the tournament because they’ve played so many close games against nearly every conference opponent.

Dusty May already has a Final Four run on his resume

May has made a pretty good case to be named Big Ten Coach of the Year 25 games into the season, and he could even get National Coach of the Year votes with how quickly this turnaround has happened.

The Wolverines are lucky to have May, who already led Florida Atlantic to a Final Four appearance in 2023. His postseason experience is valuable, and nearly all of Michigan’s key contributors have played in the tournament before, so they won’t be scared of the moment.

College basketball insider Jon Rothstein tweeted this weekend that Illinois is “going to be the underseeded team that everyone thinks about picking for the Final Four on Selection Sunday,” but I think Michigan is more likely to be that squad. With a dynamic duo in the front court, a clutch point guard and battle scars in close games, the Wolverines have all the ingredients to make a deep tournament run.