Wolverines to Meet Nebraska in Big Ten Quarterfinal

Friday, March 2

New York, N.Y.

2:30 PM

Michigan

Nebraska

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3/1/2018 11:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball

By: Tom Wywrot

» Michigan advanced to face No. 4-seed Nebraska after a 77-71 overtime win vs. No. 12-seed Iowa.
» U-M made it 12 straight years with a win at the Big Ten Tournament.
» In the only regular-season meeting this season, U-M fell at Nebraska, 72-52, in Pinnacle Bank Arena.
» The Big Ten Tournament is being played a week earlier this season due to scheduling at MSG.

NEXT GAME
Thursday, March 1 -- vs. #12-seed Iowa, W, 77-71 OT [ Recap ]
Friday, March 2 -- vs. #4-seed Nebraska (New York, N.Y.), 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, March 3 -- BTT Semifinal (New York, N.Y.), 2:00 p.m. (if advance)
Sunday, March 4 -- BTT Championship (New York, N.Y.), 4:30 p.m. (if advance)

The No. 15-ranked University of Michigan men's basketball team (25-7, 13-5 B1G) survived an overtime win over Iowa to advance to take on No. 4-seed Nebraska (22-9; 13-5 B1G) in a quarterfinal of the 2018 Big Ten Tournament. Tipoff is scheduled approximately 2:30 p.m. with the game broadcast on Big Ten Network.

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 U-M fell to No. 4 Wisconsin, 68-59, in a 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.
• In 2018, after a slow start, Michigan was able to rally and hold off No. 12-seed Iowa, 77-71, in overtime to advance to the quarterfinal for the 12th straight year.

MICHIGAN IN THE BIG TEN TOURNAMENT
• Michigan has a 23-18 (19-17*) 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 the 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, but 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. Previously, the lowest seed to win the Big Ten Tournament was No. 6-seed Iowa in 2001.
• Overall, the Wolverines have had 10 first-round byes.
• Michigan has won 12 straight tournament opening games. 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
     > 4-0 (4-0*) 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
• 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 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.
• 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. 4-SEED NEBRASKA
• The No. 4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, Nebraska heads to New York with a 22-9 overall record, which includes a 13-5 conference mark.
• In the only game of the regular-season between Michigan and Nebraska, the Cornhuskers topped the Wolverines in Lincoln, 72-52 (Jan. 18).
• Three players score in double figures for Nebraska: James Palmer Jr., leads the way with 17.4 points per game. Isaac Copeland (13.2 ppg) and Glynn Watson Jr. (10.5 ppg) also score in double figures.
• Nebraska leads the Big Ten in three-point defense, allowing opponents to shoot just 31.5 percent from beyond the arc.
• Tim Miles is in his sixth season as head coach at Nebraska and guided the Cornhuskers to the NCAA Tournament in 2014. Miles also led Colorado State to the NCAA Tournament in 2012.

THE SERIES WITH NEBRASKA
• The game with Nebraska marks the 18th all-time meeting.
• U-M leads the all-time series against the Cornhuskers, 14-3.
• Michigan has met Nebraska twice on a neutral court -- never in the Big Ten Tournament. The two off-campus sites were a 67-65 U-M win at the 1949 Big Seven Holiday Tournament in Kansas City and an 88-73 U-M win at the 1992 Rainbow Classic.
• U-M head coach John Beilein is 8-1 all-time against Nebraska.

EARLIER THIS SEASON ... U-M falls 72-52 at Pinnacle Bank Arena
• Michigan fell to Nebraska, 72-52, on the road at Pinnacle Bank Arena.
• The Cornhuskers' win was their first against the Wolverines since 1964 and snapped Michigan's 10-game win streak against Nebraska.
• Charles Matthews paced U-M with 15 points and added eight rebounds and two assists.
• As a team, the Wolverines shot 37 percent (21-for-56) from the field, while the Cornhuskers made 55 percent of their attempts (26-for-47).

SAY WHAT?
• Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman has played in 130 consecutive games, with 58 straight starts.
• Duncan Robinson has not missed a single game as a Wolverine -- 106 straight.
• When Robinson scores six points or more, U-M is 21-0.
• Robinson is just seven points away from reaching 1,000 at Michigan.
• When Jordan Poole scores in double figures, U-M is 10-0.
• When Moritz Wagner records a double-double, U-M is 7-0.
• Wagner is just 28 points away from reaching 1,000 at Michigan.
• Robinson has rekindled his long-range shot going 18-for-33 (54.5%) over his last six games. In the 13 previous Big Ten games, he was 15-for-53 (28.3%).