Wolverines Head to Big Apple for Big Ten Tournament

» Michigan earned the No. 5 seed for the Big Ten Tournament and will open play Thursday (March 1) against the winner of No. 12 Iowa/No. 13 Illinois at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
» The Wolverines finished the regular season at 24-7 overall with a 13-5 mark in conference play. The Maize and Blue tied for fourth in the standings but with loss to Nebraska, U-M earned the fifth seed.
» Playing as the No. 8 seed, U-M won four games in four days to win the 2017 Big Ten Tournament title held at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
» The Big Ten Tournament is being played a week earlier this season due to scheduling at MSG.

NEXT GAME
Thursday, March 1 -- vs. #12 Iowa or #13 Illinois (New York, N.Y.), 2:30 p.m.
Friday, March 2 -- vs. #4 Nebraska (New York, N.Y.), 2:30 p.m. (if advance)
Saturday, March 3 -- Big TenTournament Semifinal (New York, N.Y.), 2 p.m. (if advance)
Sunday, March 4 -- Big Ten Tournament Championship (New York, N.Y.), 4:30 p.m. (if advance)

• Watch: Coach Beilein Media Roundtable
• Photo Gallery: Wolverines Travel to NYC

The No. 15-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team (24-7, 13-5 B1G) opens its postseason as the No. 5 seed for the 2018 Big Ten Tournament. With a first-round bye, the Wolverines will open the conference tournament Thursday (March 1) against the winner of the No. 12 Iowa/No. 13 Illinois game. Tipoff is scheduled approximately 2:30 p.m. with the game broadcast on ESPN.

AS THE FIFTH SEED
• Michigan has been the fifth seed at the Big Ten Tournament three times -- 2004, 2013 and now 2018.
• In 2004, the Wolverines defeated No. 4 Iowa, 79-70, before falling to No. 1 Illinois, 74-60, in the semifinal. U-M would go on to win the NIT title in the postseason
• In 2013, the Wolverines defeated No. 12 Penn State, 83-66, in the first round before falling to No. 4 Wisconsin, 68-59, in the quarterfinal. U-M would go on to reach the 2013 Final Four in Atlanta as well as the national title game against Louisville in the postseason.

MICHIGAN IN THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
• Michigan has a 22-18 (18-17*) all-time record at the Big Ten Tournament.
• The Big Ten Tournament is being held in New York City (Madison Square Garden) for the first time. Previously, the Big Ten Tournament has rotated sites between Indianapolis, Indiana, (Bankers Life Fieldhouse); Chicago, Illinois (United Center); and Washington, D.C. (Verizon Center).
• In 2019, the tournament moves back to United Center and will return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse in 2020.
• U-M is 11-10 in games played in Indianapolis (Bankers Life Fieldhouse), 7-8 in Chicago (United Center) and 4-0 in Washington, D.C. (Verizon Center).
• U-M won the inaugural tournament in 1998. However, the title was vacated due to NCAA sanctions.
• In 2017, U-M won four games in four days to win the title for the second time and, as the No. 8 seed, became the lowest seed ever to win the Big Ten Tournament.
• Overall, the Wolverines have had 10 first-round byes.
• Michigan has won 11 straight tournament opening games. In fact, John Beilein has never lost an opening contest, winning 10 straight.
• In the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan is
> 7-4 (6-4*) all-time in first round games
> 3-0 (3-0*) all-time in second round games
> 7-9 (6-8*) all-time in quarterfinal games
> 3-4 (2-4*) all-time in semifinal games
> 2-1 (1-1*) all-time in championship games
* Due to NCAA sanctions, the University of Michigan vacated the 1998 Big Ten Tournament championship.
• U-M has never played Maryland, Nebraska or Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament.
• Michigan has had six players named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team -- Robert Traylor and Jerod Ward in 1998, Nik Stauskas in 2014, Zak Irvin in 2016 and Irvin and Derrick Walton Jr. in 2017. Walton was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2017 Big Ten Tournament.

REMEMBERING THE 2017 BIG TEN TOURNAMENT RUN
• Michigan's well-documented travel difficulties in reaching the Big Ten Tournament made the Wolverines one of the biggest stories in Washington, D.C. The play of the Wolverines then ensured that they remained a big story throughout the tournament in the nation's capital.
• The Maize and Blue won the tournament for the second time in school history and, as the No. 8 seed, became the lowest seed ever to win the Big Ten Tournament. Previously, the lowest seed to win the Big Ten Tournament was No. 6 Iowa in 2001.
• Derrick Walton Jr. and Zak Irvin were named to the All-Tournament Team with Walton named the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
• Michigan's four wins are the most by U-M in a single Big Ten Tournament. U-M reached the tournament final for the third time in school history.
• Michigan had three players average in double figures at the Big Ten Tournament. Derrick Walton Jr. led the way, averaging 20.5 points per game; D.J. Wilson averaged 15.3 points per contest and Zak Irvin added 14.8 points per game. Irvin averaged a team-high 6.5 rebounds while Walton averaged a team-best 6.3 assists per game.
• Four players shot better than 50 percent from the field in the Big Ten Tournament, led by D.J. Wilson who shot 60.5 percent (26-of-43). Zak Irvin (56.8 percent), Duncan Robinson (53.8 percent) and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman (50 percent) also shot 50 percent or better.
• Michigan played 165 minutes at the 2017 Big Ten Tournament and the Wolverines trailed for just 14:13, of which 13:40 came in the quarterfinal against Purdue.

A LITTLE ON NO. 12 IOWA
• Iowa enters the Big Ten Tournament as the No. 12 seed and has a 13-18 overall record, 4-14 in conference play.
• Michigan swept the season series with a 75-68 win at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (Jan. 2) before going on to a 74-59 victory in Crisler Center (Feb. 14).
• Four Hawkeyes score in double figures, led by Tyler Cook's 15.3 points per game. Cook is also Iowa's leading rebounder with 6.9 boards per contest. Jordan Bohannon (13.2 ppg), Luka Garza (11.8 ppg) and Isaiah Moss (11.3 ppg) also score in double figures.
• The Hawkeyes are ranked third in the Big Ten in scoring, averaging 79.5 points per contest. Iowa is also second in the Big Ten in assists with 18.3 per game, which ranks fourth nationally.
• Fran McCaffery is in his eighth season as head coach at Iowa, guiding the Hawkeyes to the NCAA Tournament in 2014, '15 and '16. McCaffery also has taken UNC Greensboro (2001) and Siena (2008, '09, '10) to the NCAA Tournament.

THE SERIES WITH IOWA
• A game with Iowa would mark the 157th all-time meeting.
• U-M leads the all-time series, 93-63 against the Hawkeyes.
• Michigan has met Iowa five times on a neutral court -- all at the Big Ten Tournament and hold a perfect 5-0 record. Michigan vs. Iowa at Big Ten Tournament:
> W, 77-66 (+11) at 1998 Big Ten Tournament (March 6)
> W, 79-70 (+9) at 2004 Big Ten Tournament (March 12)
> W, 55-47 (+8) at 2008 Big Ten Tournament (March 13)
> W, 73-45 (+28) at 2009 Big Ten Tournament (March 12)
> W, 59-52 (+7) at 2010 Big Ten Tournament (March 11)
• U-M head coach John Beilein is 13-8 all-time against Iowa.

A LITTLE ON NO. 13 ILLINOIS
• The Fighting Illini are the No. 13 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, entering with a 14-17 overall record including a 4-14 mark in league action.
• In the only meeting of the season, Michigan defeated Illinois, 79-69, at Crisler Center (Jan. 6).
• Illinois has two players scoring in double figures, led by 15.7 points per game from Leron Black, who also averages a team-high 5.3 rebounds per contest. Trent Frazier averages 12.5 points per game.
• Illinois is second in the Big Ten in steals, averaging 7.5 per contest, with Trent Frazier second individually (1.6 pg); the Illini are also second in the conference in turnover margin at +3.4.
• Brad Underwood is in his first season as head coach at Illinois. In his first four seasons as a Division I head coach, Underwood has been to the NCAA Tournament each season, three with Stephen F. Austin (2004, '15, '16) and one at Oklahoma State (2017).

THE SERIES WITH ILLINOIS
• A game with Illinois would mark the 172nd all-time meeting.
• U-M trails the all-time series against the Illini, 84-87.
• Michigan has met Illinois seven times on a neutral court -- with six meetings at the Big Ten Tournament. U-M is 5-2 with the other neutral-site meeting being an 83-81 last-second win at the 1989 Final Four, which led U-M to its first, and only, national title. Michigan vs. Illinois at Big Ten Tournament
> L, 60-74 (-14) at 2004 Big Ten Tournament (March 13)
> L, 50-60 (-10) at 2009 Big Ten Tournament (March 13)
> W, 60-55 (+5) at 2011 Big Ten Tournament (March 11)
> W, 64-63 (+1) at 2014 Big Ten Tournament (March 14)
> W, 73-55 (+18) at 2015 Big Ten Tournament (March 12)
> W, 71-51 (+20) at 2017 Big Ten Tournament (March 9)
• U-M head coach John Beilein is 15-7 all-time against Illinois.

SAY WHAT?
• Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman has played in 129 consecutive games, with 57 straight starts.
• Duncan Robinson has not missed a game as a Wolverine -- 105 straight.
• When Robinson scores six points or more, U-M is 20-0.
• When Jordan Poole scores in double figures, U-M is 10-0.
• When Moritz Wagner records a double-double, U-M is 7-0.
• Robinson has rekindled his long-range shot going 15-for-27 (55.5%) over his last five games. In the 13 previous Big Ten games, he was 15-for-53 (28.3 percent).
• Michigan has more three-pointers (289) than turnovers (288).

GETTING DEFENSIVE
• Michigan leads the Big Ten allowing 63.4 points per game, which is eighth in the nation.
• The Wolverines could lead the conference in scoring defense for the first time since the 1964 season -- 54 years ago. U-M has led the Big Ten in defense three times in its 102 years -- 1948 (46.3), 1952 (56.2) and 1964 (75.5).
• U-M has held its foes to 65 points or fewer in 17 games and held eight to 55 or fewer points. Among those 17, five games are under 50 -- including a season-low 42 by UC Riverside (Nov. 26).
• According to the latest Ken Pom stats, U-M ranks 36th in offensive efficiency and 11th in defensive efficiency.
• U-M's previous best Ken Pom defensive efficiency under Beilein was 37th in 2011. Offensively, Beilein's Wolverines have been among the top-five three times in the last six years -- 1st (2013), 3rd (2014) and 4th (2017).