Michigan, Michigan State basketball continue to rise in latest rankings with good weeks

Posted by Admin January 13, 2025 Basketball

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The last time Michigan basketball got into the top 20 in the rankings, it lost consecutive games.

The Wolverines will try to have better fortunes this time as they’ve climbed five spots up to No. 19 in the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll rankings after yet another undefeated week.

Dusty May’s group, winners of five straight, just knocked off a pair of former Pac-12 foes this week, first going to historic Pauley Pavilion and hammering UCLA 94-75 in historic fashion, then returning home and thumping Washington in what May described as a “choppy” game, 91-75, to remain undefeated and atop the Big Ten.

“Feel like we’re improving week by week,” May said Monday ahead of the rankings release. “There’s a human nature component to it. But we’ve stressed maturity and focusing on the way we play the game, not just looking at the results.

“Now that we’re going to be getting more attention, more love − and it’s good, good for the sport, good for the university, good for our team and their individual careers and whatnot − but we can’t believe the hype. … our mindset, our ability and what we need to work on is much more important.”

U-M kept its winning streak going in a variety of ways this past week. First, it was Vladislav Goldin and Tre Donaldson operating a two-man show. Goldin scored a career-high 36 points against the Bruins while Donaldson set career-highs with 20 points and six made 3-pointers to go with seven assists and six rebounds.

Sunday, U-M was back to its balanced formula with five players scoring between 11 and 19 points, highlighted by a flawless afternoon from Nimari Burnett, as he scored 16 points without missing a shot from the floor (6 for 6).

Michigan (13-3, 5-0 Big Ten) is one of five teams in the Big Ten which made this weeks top 25, joined by No. 12 Michigan State, No. 14 Oregon, No. 15 Purdue and No. 20 Illinois while Wisconsin, Indiana, Maryland and UCLA all received votes to be ranked.

MSU crushed Washington on Thursday, 88-54, and dazzled at Northwestern on Sunday in a 78-68 win.

The Wolverines have another two games this week and they’re heavily favored in both. Up first, Minnesota at “The Barn” in Minneapolis on Thursday, where the Gophers are still looking for their first win in Big Ten play. Then, Northwestern comes to Crisler Center next Sunday.

With another pair of wins, U-M would be 7-0 in the league, either tied or atop the conference by itself and would almost certainly crack the top 10 nationally heading into the end of January.

“We’ve stressed maturity and focus on the way we play the game,” May said. “They continue to go to the hot hand, continue to run stuff for each together, continue to appreciate each other’s talents and strengths.

“Once it becomes what they want and they want it for themselves over the team, then we’ll start losing. But up to this point, in early January, they’re playing really, really sound, smart basketball every night.”

Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.