Game 9: Villanova at Michigan Recap

I’ve spent years recapping college basketball games and trying to come up with ways to say that things are never as good or bad as they seem after any given result.

Michigan’s recent five-game stretch is close to breaking me from that basketball truth. The Wolverines have played five consecutive games at a level that’s hard to remember, by any team. It’s not just great basketball, it’s “best game of a memorable season” basketball — five times in five games. Michigan has been so dominant that Jon Rothstein can’t find an adjective to describe it.

Villanova was supposed to serve as a test for Michigan. The Wolverines aced the exam by the third media timeout. The game was over by halftime. It wasn’t quite another 30-point victory, but it was another game in which scout-team availability factored into the final 10 minutes.

It’s hard to lead any basketball game by 30 points at the half or 34 points with 10 minutes to go. Michigan is doing it consistently against high-major teams that appear competent in any other setting.