19. Michigan (12-3)
These Wolverines lost three games in nonconference play by a combined five points. They’re just a few bounces of the basketball away from a record that looks outstandingly better, and this is a team that also has several solid wins. They won at Wisconsin back in December, have several double-digit wins over power conference foes, and just got another big win one this past week.
Three days after last weekend’s win at USC, Michigan completed their trip to Los Angeles in style, getting a 94-75 road victory over a ranked Bruins squad. The Wolverines played their best offensive game of the season, making 61% of their field goals, including 15 of 28 from outside the arc. Vladislav Goldin was on another level with 36 points and seven rebounds, while Tre Donaldson added 20 points and seven assists.
Suddenly, Dusty May’s first season in Ann Arbor could be a very exciting one with how this team is playing. They’ve won their first four Big Ten games, including a pair of road games over two of the most competitive teams in the league, though clearly there are still challenges ahead. We’ll see this team in action against Washington on Sunday but their next big test isn’t until a road trip to West Lafayette in just under two weeks.