Cover photo by Michigan Men’s Basketball X account.

The sellout crowd got what they came to see Tuesday night at Crisler Center. No. 20 Michigan (20-5) upset the 7th ranked team in the country, the Purdue Boilermakers (19-7). The Wolverines now lead the Big Ten regular season standings with an 11-2 conference record. They are 12-0 at home this season. 

Purdue led Michigan at halftime, 37-35, but the Wolverines finished the half on a 9-0 run. They carried that momentum into the second half, out-scoring the Boilermakers by four overall, with big shot after big shot down the stretch.

Junior center/forward Danny Wolf led the team with 15 points and nine rebounds, but four players scored in double figures. This was a complete team effort. 

Perhaps the most important stat of the night was the 11 turnovers by Michigan, which matched Purdue’s 11, and was well below the Wolverines’ season average of 14.5 per game. 

This is a signature win for a team that can now have the highest of expectations for this season. Every accomplishment is within reach. 

Regular season Big Ten title. 

Top seed and possible Big Ten Tournament title. 

A one seed and a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, possibly a Final Four appearance. 

It’s all there for a Michigan team that has won its last five, 11 of its last 13, and avenged its Jan. 24 loss at Purdue. 

Finishing the season strong will not be easy. 

Michigan plays No. 11 Michigan State twice. The Spartans are 19-5 overall this season and 10-3 in the Big Ten, third overall. 

They play No. 25 Maryland. The Terps are third in scoring in the Big Ten and second in points given up. The Wolverines are fourth and seventh. But Maryland’s scoring differential is 5.4 points per game better than Michigan’s, 16.3 to 10.9, meaning that the Terps score more and give up fewer points per game than the Wolverines. 

Odds for Michigan Men’s Basketball to win the national title were 60-1 on Feb. 10, by ESPN. As of this morning, the Wolverines are +4500 to win the Final Four, per DraftKings. 

Michigan is surging at the right time, and four of its final seven games are at home. 

The crowd will be raucous for those games.

The team will be prepared. 

The sky is the limit.