College Search
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
College Search
On a night billed as one of the biggest Big Ten games in years, the University of Michigan men’s basketball program delivered a statement that will echo well beyond January. Trailing for more than 36 minutes at Crisler Center, the third-ranked Wolverines closed on a 6–0 run to topple previously unbeaten No. 5 Nebraska 75–72 on January 27, 2026, snapping the Cornhuskers’ 24-game winning streak and reshaping both the Big Ten race and the national title conversation.
Michigan improved to 19–1 overall and 9–1 in the Big Ten, while Nebraska fell to 20–1 and 9–1 in conference play. The loss ended the nation’s longest active winning streak, a 24-game run that stretched back to March 2025 and included a postseason championship at the College Basketball Crown event. It was the longest win streak in Division I men’s basketball in more than a decade, according to Michigan’s recap and national reports.
Beyond the numbers, this was a rarity: a top-five Big Ten showdown between surging programs, a high-stakes measuring stick for both teams, and a showcase of how small margins and late-game composure define seasons in March.
This game carried more weight than a typical conference clash. Nebraska entered Ann Arbor ranked No. 5 in both the Associated Press and coaches polls, the highest ranking in program history and a benchmark for a team that has rarely lived in the national spotlight. The Cornhuskers’ 20–0 start featured quality wins over ranked Big Ten opponents Illinois and Michigan State and had them firmly in the conversation for a No. 1 NCAA tournament seed.
Across from them stood a Michigan team in the midst of its own resurgence under second-year head coach Dusty May. The Wolverines began the season 14–0 and came into the game 18–1 after a 2024–25 campaign that included a Big Ten tournament title and a Sweet Sixteen run in May’s first year. This matchup was only the second top-10 game in Nebraska’s history, and Michigan’s first home game against a top-five Big Ten opponent while also ranked in the top five itself.
For both rosters, it felt like a March-level test arriving in late January. For recruits watching across the country, it doubled as a live illustration of what high-major, high-pressure Big Ten basketball looks like in 2026.
Nebraska wasted little time asserting itself. The Cornhuskers scored on the opening possession and spent most of the first half controlling pace and scoreboard. Their perimeter attack and timely defensive stops kept Michigan at arm’s length, with the Wolverines struggling to find consistent rhythm on offense.
Michigan, though, found an anchor inside. Sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr. kept the Wolverines within striking distance with 10 first-half points, attacking the paint, drawing contact, and repeatedly getting to the free throw line. His presence on the glass and in the lane served as a stabilizing force while Nebraska built and rebuilt multi-possession leads.
Late in the half, Michigan finally generated some momentum from the perimeter. Freshman guard Trey McKenney drilled back-to-back three-pointers, and point guard Elliot Cadeau followed with a deep three of his own to trim what had been a significant deficit down to a single possession. Nebraska answered, building its cushion back out, but Michigan refused to let the game tilt too far away.
The half closed with a symbolic play that hinted at what was to come: 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara beat the buzzer to cut Nebraska’s lead to 50–48. Despite trailing most of the first 20 minutes, Michigan walked to the locker room down just two points, well within range against a team that rarely had been threatened all season.
The second half opened with a familiar trend for Michigan: trips to the foul line. Transfer forward Yaxel Lendeborg knocked down two early free throws, but then the Wolverines endured an extended scoring drought as both teams ratcheted up their defensive intensity.
For a stretch, Nebraska looked ready to reassert full control. Michigan missed a sequence of shots, the ball stuck on the perimeter, and the Cornhuskers nudged the lead back out, flirting with a double-figure gap and threatening to turn the game into an anticlimactic extension of their win streak.
Yet even as the Wolverines sputtered from the field, their defense refused to break. Michigan held Nebraska to just 22 points after halftime, the fewest any Big Ten opponent had scored in a half against the Wolverines this season. While the shots did not fall, the energy on the defensive end and the commitment to rebounding kept the deficit manageable.
Offensively, the numbers were stark. Michigan shot just 25 percent from the field in the second half, making only a quarter of its attempts. In many games, that is a recipe for a decisive loss. In this one, it made what followed even more striking, especially for athletes and coaches who understand how many big games turn on free throws and stops more than highlight plays.
The comeback began, fittingly, with a role player. Reserve forward Will Tschetter, a veteran stretch big, buried a three-pointer just inside the 10-minute mark to cut Nebraska’s lead to five. It was exactly the type of shot that can flip tension in a packed arena, and Crisler responded.
Moments later, McKenney drew a foul on a three-point attempt and calmly sank all three free throws, pulling Michigan even closer. The Wolverines still were not clicking from the floor, but they were consistently attacking closeouts, drawing contact, and living at the stripe.
By the end of the night, Michigan had scored 14 of its 27 second-half points at the free throw line, according to the school’s recap. That ability to generate points without needing clean offensive sets or hot shooting proved decisive against one of the nation’s most confident teams.
Defensively, Michigan’s multi-pronged frontcourt, anchored by Johnson and Mara, slowly wore down Nebraska’s attack. The Wolverines harassed ball screens, contested threes, and swallowed up second-chance opportunities, all while holding up inside despite Nebraska’s spacing and guard play.
From there, the game turned into a clinic in late-game composure. Nebraska, which had led by multiple possessions for most of the night, saw its margin slip away possession by possession in the final three-plus minutes.
Down multiple scores, Michigan began the decisive run at the foul line. Johnson and Lendeborg each knocked down a pair of free throws, slicing the deficit to a single point and finally putting real pressure on the Cornhuskers, who had not faced many comparable moments during their 24-game winning streak.
With 2:16 left, Cadeau attacked off the dribble, drew contact, and converted two clutch free throws to tie the game at 72–72. The building erupted as the Wolverines, for the first time since the early minutes, stood level on the scoreboard.
On the next defensive trip, Michigan forced a critical miss and secured the rebound, setting up a baseline out-of-bounds play that head coach Dusty May and his staff executed to perfection. The action freed McKenney for a driving lane, and the freshman guard finished a go-ahead layup with 1:07 remaining to give Michigan its first lead since the opening stretch.
Nebraska’s offense, so crisp for most of the night, sputtered under the weight of the moment and Michigan’s defense. The Cornhuskers came up empty on their final possessions, including a last-second attempt from three that bounced off at the horn.
In the meantime, Mara split two free throws with 16.4 seconds to play, nudging the advantage to three and forcing Nebraska into a late triple to try to tie. When that shot missed, Michigan had completed a 6–0 closing run and one of the most impactful wins of the college basketball season so far.
Statistically, Michigan’s formula was clear: dominate the interior, win the free throw battle, and survive an off shooting night. Johnson was the focal point of that plan.
Michigan’s offense after halftime was far from perfect, but their shot profile reflected a team that understood how to win when the jumpers are not falling. Drawing contact, leveraging their frontcourt, and trusting their defense were the non-negotiables that carried them.
Nebraska, playing short-handed, still produced big numbers in the backcourt. Guards Jamarques Lawrence and Pryce Sandfort each scored 20 points, repeatedly knocking down shots to silence runs and control tempo. Yet the Cornhuskers ultimately missed their final five field goal attempts, an uncharacteristic cold stretch that intersected directly with Michigan’s defensive surge.
The Cornhuskers also were without two important pieces: starting forward Rienk Mast, who missed the game due to illness, and double-digit scorer Braden Frager, out with an ankle injury. While Nebraska had been winning despite adversity throughout its streak, the lack of full frontcourt depth was felt late against Michigan’s size and physicality inside.
Beyond the immediate thrill, the result carried real historical significance for the University of Michigan program. According to the school’s game notes, it was:
The win also pushed Michigan into at least a share of first place in a crowded Big Ten race that entered the week with four teams ranked in the top 10 nationally, per the AP Poll. In that context, every head-to-head contest between ranked teams is a two-game swing in the standings and in seeding projections.
Nebraska’s streak, meanwhile, will remain a defining chapter in program history even with its end in Ann Arbor. The 24 straight wins, cited by outlets such as ESPN, marked the longest run by a major college program since Kentucky’s 38–0 start to the 2014–15 season. That context underscores how rare it is to string together that many wins in the modern era of the transfer portal, NIL, and deep parity in high-major leagues.
For head coach Dusty May, this victory was also an affirmation of his reputational arc as one of the sport’s most effective late-game managers. According to Michigan’s notes, he is now 17–5 in games decided by four points or fewer since taking over in 2024, including a 4–1 mark in such contests this season.
Those numbers matter to recruits and their families as much as to fans. They speak to a culture of preparation, trust, and execution in tense moments, all traits that players hope will translate to deep NCAA tournament runs. This latest result, against an unbeaten top-five opponent with a veteran staff in Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg on the other bench, further cements Michigan’s identity as a team comfortable operating under pressure.
Hoiberg, for his part, emphasized after the game that Nebraska’s ability to go toe-to-toe on the road while short-handed demonstrated that the Cornhuskers can compete with anyone in the country. Even in defeat, they remain positioned for a high seed and deep March opportunity, something fans could scarcely have imagined just a few years ago.
From a wider lens, the result immediately shifts the midseason narrative in both the Big Ten and the national title race:
For athletes and coaches following the sport closely, this is another reminder of how thin the line can be between a historic run and a season-defining loss. One cold stretch, one mismatch inside, or one string of free throws can flip months of dominance in a single night.
From a recruiting perspective, games like this serve as real-time advertisements. Prospective student-athletes considering high-major basketball see more than just the final score; they see how a program competes, develops, and responds to pressure.
This particular win highlighted several traits that matter for both Division I prospects and their families:
For athletes hoping to play at programs with that kind of stage and structure, it is worth exploring where a school like Michigan might fit into their broader recruiting picture. Tools like the Pathley Basketball Hub can help prospects compare programs across divisions, styles, and academic profiles to find environments that mirror what they just watched in Ann Arbor.
The schedule does not pause for emotional swings in the Big Ten. Michigan turns quickly to a rivalry trip to Michigan State, another marquee test that will demand a reset after such an emotional win. Nebraska, meanwhile, heads back to Lincoln for another ranked showdown, tasked with proving that its first loss was a blip rather than the start of a slide.
For both coaching staffs, the film from this game will be instructive. Michigan will look to bottle its defensive intensity and late-game execution while cleaning up the extended scoring drought that nearly cost it. Nebraska will seek answers for how to maintain offensive flow in crunch time and how to better manage size mismatches when not at full strength.
Nationally, analysts and outlets such as the NCAA and AP Poll voters will keep recalibrating where these teams sit in the national pecking order. Fans and recruits will do the same, tracking not only wins and losses but also how these groups respond to high-pressure environments and narrative-shaping nights like this one.
If you are an athlete, parent, or coach watching games like Michigan vs. Nebraska and wondering how to turn that inspiration into a realistic college plan, you do not have to guess where you fit. Pathley is built to make that process smarter and more transparent.
When you are ready to turn interest into action, you can create a free Pathley account to unlock AI college matching, résumé tools, and personalized recruiting insights tailored to your sport, academics, and aspirations.
Games like Michigan’s comeback win over Nebraska are why college basketball is so compelling. With the right tools, they can also be a roadmap, helping you identify the level, conferences, and campuses where you might write your own chapter of March memories.
