The University of Michigan men's basketball team (20-11, 10-8 Big Ten) opens its Big Ten Tournament and 2017 postseason with a trip to the nation's capital and the Verizon Center. The eighth-seeded Wolverines square off with ninth-seeded Illinois (18-13; 8-10 Big Ten) for the third time this season and for the second straight year at the conference tournament on Thursday (March 9) at noon on BTN. If U-M advances they face Big Ten regular season champion and No. 1 seed Purdue at noon on Friday (March 10) on ESPN.
MAIZE & BLUE QUICK NOTES
• Michigan is 6-2 in its last eight games with those two losses in overtime to a red-hot Minnesota (Feb.