It was a weekend of triumph and a weekend of heartbreak.
On Friday, Michigan finally slayed the dragon that was Illinois, beating the Fighting Illini for the first time since the 2018-19 season. In doing so, Michigan clinched the outright regular season conference crown and put a bow on its NCAA Tournament resume. It’s as airtight a team sheet as Dusty May and his staff could ask for, and it’ll be good enough to earn a 1 seed when the field of 68 is announced in 13 days.
But in the process, the Wolverines lost one of their most important players, sophomore guard LJ Cason, to a torn ACL. It’s a devastating blow for a player who looked to be blossoming into a star before our very eyes. Now, he’ll be cheering his teammates on from the bench as they play for more hardware.
Welcome to March, folks. Savor it, because you never quite know when or how it will end.
Still to come
- Team Sheet
- Game-by-Game Seed Movement
- Bracket Rundown
- Securing a Spot in the Midwest Region
- Factoring in the LJ Cason Injury
+ 40 more
Members only
Keep reading with UM Hoops
Read this story and every game preview and recap, in full.
UM Hoops
$60/year
Every preview and recap, plus the forum.
- Every game preview and recap, in full
- The members' forum
- All the games
- Ad-free reading
First-year offer
UM Hoops+
$80 $100 /first year
Everything, including the Data Hub and Locker Room.
- Everything in UM Hoops
- The Extra Pass every Thursday
- Game Day Live and the Data Hub
- Film Room and the complete Locker Room
Cancel anytimeAlready a member? Log in
Join the conversation · 240 replies on the forum
