Next: vs Northwestern

Before we begin, we hope you all had a restful holiday break. I know I can't eat anymore for the next few days.

In addition to all the food, the season indicates the start of the Big Ten basketball season. Technically, it began a few weeks ago when the Wolverines beat a young Iowa squad, but now we get into full swing.

As we enter the season, here's a quick look back at the non-conference slate:
- Michigan blew out the first three opponents by 15+ points.
- Its infamous eight-game road trip ended positively with five straight victories
- The final week included a gigantic win over now-No.15 Xavier, earning Dayeesha Hollins top honors (Freshman of the Week & Big Ten Player of the Week) and votes in the polls.

Hollins has certainly been impressive, but it's been Michigan's knack of closing out games that's staggering. Last year, none of this was prevalent. Often when the game came close in the final 10 minutes, the Wolverines got hesitant, lost rhythm and no one wanted to take control. In short, they fell apart.

This season looked to be the same against now-No. 22 Kansas and New Mexico State. Michigan help close to its opponents in the waning moments, but couldn't close the door. The year could have been defined by youth inexperience, but something different happened. The Wolverines kept up.

In the team statistics column, you won't see anything extraordinary. The Wolverines are near the bottom when it comes to opponent's PPG. This isn't to say that the "team defense" concept doesn't work, but there are clear lapses from time to time. These Wolverines, under the guard of Ronnie Hicks (who, by the way, addresses free throw woes), have been magnificent in responding to adversity. I may be wrong (see: my slight Chicago bias), but I think it is her tenacity that has been essential to Michigan's success.

Going into the Big Ten season, I'm looking forward to seeing how the freshmen will react to Big Ten play, particularly Ohio State. Like Coach Borseth's first season, I wouldn't be surprised if they take the conference by storm the first time around. Going through the grind again, that's where it'll get interesting.

This takes us to Big Ten opponent No. 2: Northwestern (a.k.a. the Welcome Home game).

In this contest, there's really just one person to worry about: Amy Jaeschke. The junior center from New Trier currently averages 16.5 PPG, and most likely opens up the floor for the Wildcats. Obviously, this calls for Krista Phillips to take the lead in this matchup. Although the Wolverines have been quite aggressive on both sides of the ball, Phillips MUST remain disciplined as she averages about three fouls a game.

If Michigan is able to contain Jaeschke (my memory says that the Wolverines had trouble previously), then it should be able to go home happy - a short walk away from Crisler.

Tomorrow's game is apparently Abrakadoodle Art Night. If you can't make it there, you can watch it on BigTenNetwork.com for $2.99 (sidenote: This is a complete ripoff). Let's go ladies - make it six straight!

One quick update: In the Jeff Sagarin rankings, Michigan stands at 19th. According to RealTimeRPI.com, the Wolverines sit at 14th, which is one ahead of Ohio State. Again, both should be taken with a grain of salt.