An overtime thriller giveth and an overtime thriller taketh away.

Four days after Michigan pulled off an improbable victory at home, down by three with

2.1 seconds left in regulation.

The Wolverine seemingly had Illinois dead to rights.

After rallying down seven in the final couple of minutes of regulation, Michigan was up

seven and dominating in the overtime session, the first overtime session. But then, like that,

overtime giveeth and taketh away, a seven-oh run giveth and taketh away. The align I scored the final

seven of overtime number one, and they forced a second

five minutes. There, Illinois was just a smidge better in a game that, as I feel like I've said

several times throughout the course of this season, it was a microcosm of this Michigan basketball

campaign. Michigan started off pretty well.

Illinois, they made a surge.

Second half, it looked like Illinois was going to get the job done.

Michigan rallied, kind of like what the Wolverines did in the month of February,

going from 11 and 10, entering it to then a 6-2 showing and right back on the bubble in the NCAA tournament

conversation. But here they are in March, and they are behind the eight ball again. Michigan

couldn't quite get it done against the Illini, and now they're thrust into a similar situation

as they were a lot of times in February. Heck, you can look back to last season when Michigan had to go to

Ohio State in the regular season finale and pick up a win in a hostile environment to add to a

vulnerable NCAA tournament resume. Unfortunately, at this stage of the season, with this Michigan

NCAA tournament resume, there are no moral victories. This does not get chuffed up to a, hey, everything's fine.

They played really hard.

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