What Michigan just accomplished in the Battle 4 Atlantis might go down as the most impressive two-game streak of any team in college basketball all season. The Wolverines handily defeated No. 8 Gonzaga on Friday 82-64 to improve to 7-0 on the season, a win that comes on the heels of Thursday's equally impressive 73-64 win over No. 6 North Carolina.

If the UNC win felt like an anomoly -- it certainly wasn't -- then Friday's win was reassurance for any lingering doubters that the Wolverines are indeed legitimate. The Zags hadn't lost all season before Michigan entered as underdogs and demolished them. They took an 11-point lead into halftime and never trailed in the second half, building a lead to as many as 21 before cruising down the stretch. There was no fluke about the way in which Michigan handled this talented Gonzaga team from the jump.

Now Michigan is undeniably going to win the 2020 national championship -- at least if recent history repeats itself. Last year's Battle 4 Atlantis champion, Virginia, lost only three games all season after winning the event, making a run to its first-ever national championship. The year prior, Villanova claimed the Battle 4 Atlantis title and started the title streak. It's certainly too soon to crown Michigan, which remains unranked (for now), but its mettle can no longer be in question despite an offseason coaching change and a pretty massive roster overhaul that saw its top three scorers jump to the NBA.

Best of all: Michigan's tests won't stop soon. It faces top-five Louisville on Dec. 3 then gets Iowa, Illinois and Oregon -- all NCAA Tournament quality clubs -- over the next two weeks. If it can escape unblemished, it will establish itself as a top-10 quality team in the sport. But whether it does or not, it's clear this week's results in the Bahamas speak for itself -- and that the Wolverines should be a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten this season.





Wednesday's games

Game 1 : Michigan 83, Iowa State 76 -- Recap



: Michigan 83, Iowa State 76 -- Recap Game 2 : No. 6 North Carolina 76, Alabama 67 -- Recap



: No. 6 North Carolina 76, Alabama 67 -- Recap Game 3 : No. 8 Gonzaga 94, Southern Miss 69 -- Recap



: No. 8 Gonzaga 94, Southern Miss 69 -- Recap Game 4: No. 11 Oregon 71, No. 13 Seton Hall 69 -- Recap



Thursday's games



Game 5 : Michigan 73, No. 6 North Carolina 64 -- Recap

: Michigan 73, No. 6 North Carolina 64 -- Recap Game 6 : No. 8 Gonzaga 73, No. 11 Oregon 72 (OT) -- Recap

: No. 8 Gonzaga 73, No. 11 Oregon 72 (OT) -- Recap Game 7 : Iowa State 104, Alabama 89 -- Recap

: Iowa State 104, Alabama 89 -- Recap Game 8: No. 13 Seton Hall 81, Southern Miss 56 -- Recap



Friday's games



Third-place game : No. 6 North Carolina 78, No. 11 Oregon 74 -- Recap



: No. 6 North Carolina 78, No. 11 Oregon 74 -- Recap Championship game : Michigan 82, No. 8 Gonzaga 64 -- Recap

: Michigan 82, No. 8 Gonzaga 64 -- Recap Fifth-place game : No. 13 Seton Hall 84, Iowa State 76 -- Recap

: No. 13 Seton Hall 84, Iowa State 76 -- Recap Seventh-place game: Alabama 83, Southern Miss 68 -- Recap





