Battle-Tested: The Michigan Wolverines Carry The Torch For The Big Ten

After a record nine Big Ten teams were selected to the NCAA tournament, Michigan is the last team standing.

In what was quite possibly the best game of the entire NCAA tournament so far, the Michigan Wolverines showed why they’re still very much a favorite to win it all. To their credit, the LSU Tigers played a hell of a game - giving the Wolverines all they could handle for a full 40 minutes.

It was clear that the Tigers came prepared for the fight right out of the gate, using their speed and athleticism to put the Wolverines on their heels for much of the first half. Despite a combined 57 points from freshman guard Cameron Thomas and junior guard Javonte Smart, Michigan would prove to be too much for LSU in the end. By the time the dust had settled at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Wolverines were celebrating their 86-78 victory and their fourth consecutive trip to the Sweet Sixteen (a school record).

Though it was a complete team effort from Juwan Howard’s squad, a pair of veteran Wolverines elevated their play in order to secure the win for Michigan. Senior guard Eli Brooks had a career night, scoring 21 points and tying a career-high with five 3-pointers. Not to be outdone, senior guard Chaundee Brown emerged from the bench and scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half. Brooks and Brown would sink a combined eight 3-pointers, each coming at crucial times within the game.

"Chaundee has been rock steady all season long,” said head coach Juwan Howard after the game. “He understands, all his teammates do, that when one guy may have it going one night, or two or three guys may have it going one night offensively, but that doesn't mean that we stop playing. We still have to compete on both ends of the floor.”

Brooks also praised Brown’s contribution to the team. "I mean, you know what you're going to get with Chaundee every single day," Brooks said. "He brings a lot of energy. It was good to see him make some shots because that smile goes a long way for the team. His energy, his presence, it helps the team. It brings the defense to a higher level."

As for the Big Ten conference as a whole, the tournament results have been disappointing to say the least. The first two rounds of the NCAA tournament claimed eight of the Big Ten’s nine teams selected, most notably the No. 2 seed Ohio State Buckeyes in a stunning loss to No. 15 Oral Roberts (first round) and No. 1 Illinois losing to No. 8 Loyola Chicago (second round). Entering Monday, the conference would have just three teams remaining in the tournament - No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Iowa and No. 10 Maryland - each having games scheduled that day. By the time Monday came to an end, there was only one Big Ten team remaining.

Not only did the Wolverines single-handedly save the conference from complete embarrassment on Monday night, they may have repositioned themselves as the favorite to win it all.