For many Michigan fans, the moment the pandemic became real was around 11:45 am on Thursday, March 12. The team had just left the court at Bankers Life Fieldhouse after warming up for a second round Big Ten Tournament matchup against Rutgers when the conference canceled the game and the rest of the tournament.
Just like that, Year One under Juwan Howard was over. It was a season of notables highs — back-to-back top-10 wins on the way to a Battle 4 Atlantis title, a convincing win over No. 16 Michigan State in Ann Arbor, All-Big Ten accolades for Zavier Simpson and Franz Wagner — as well as some painful roadbumps, primarily in the form of a 4-8 stretch in December and January.