CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — For the first time since 2021, the Big Ten championship trophy has a singular home in Ann Arbor.
In a hostile environment at the State Farm Center, the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines (27-2, 17-1 B1G) put an exclamation point on a historic regular season, dismantling No. 10 Illinois 84-70 on Friday night. The victory not only secures Michigan the outright Big Ten regular-season title but also serves as a cathartic “revenge game” for a program that had lost nine straight to the Fighting Illini.
Dominance in the Paint
The story of the night was Michigan’s overwhelming size and interior execution. Sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr., returning to the arena where he played as a freshman for Illinois, ignored a chorus of boos to deliver a monster double-double. Johnson finished with 19 points and 11 rebounds, setting the tone early with 13 first-half points. He did an excellent job of staying calm under all the pressure the crowd tried to put on him relentlessly.
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When Illinois attempted to claw back in the second half, 7-foot-5 center Aday Mara took over. Mara scored 15 of his 19 points after the intermission, working in tandem with Yaxel Lendeborg (16 points, 7 rebounds) to turn the paint into a “no-fly zone” for the Illini.
Breaking the Streak
The win was significant for more than just the standings. Entering Friday, Michigan hadn’t beaten Illinois since January 2019. By reversing that trend in such a dominant fashion—leading by as many as 21 points in the second half—Dusty May’s squad proved they are the undisputed class of the conference.
Keaton Wagler led the Fighting Illini (22-7, 13-5) with 23 points, but Illinois struggled to find rhythm against Michigan’s length, managing only two field goals during a critical seven-minute stretch in the second half.
Momentum Heading into March
With the outright title in hand, Michigan enters the postseason as the heavy favorite to sweep the Big Ten honors. The Wolverines have now won 17 of 18 conference games, with 15 of those victories coming by double digits.
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Key Statistic
Michigan Performance
Big Ten Record
17-1
Total Wins
27
Postseason Seed
#1 Seed (Triple-Bye)
Current Win Streak
2 Games
What this means for the Tournaments:
The Triple-Bye: By clinching the #1 seed, Michigan earns a triple-bye in the expanded 18-team Big Ten Tournament. They won’t take the court in Chicago until the quarterfinals on Friday, March 13.
NCAA Seeding: Currently projected as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, this win likely cements Michigan’s status at the top of the bracket regardless of their performance in the conference tournament.
The “May” Effect: In just his second season, head coach Dusty May has transformed an 8-win team into a national powerhouse. His “process-oriented” approach has the Wolverines peaking at exactly the right time.
As the nets are cut down in Champaign, the message to the rest of the country is clear: the Wolverines aren’t just winning; they are dominating. With a healthy roster and a suffocating defense, Michigan heads into March with more than just momentum, they head in with a championship pedigree.
