Beilein: Reaching round of 16 was important for Michigan program

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Now that Michigan has finally made it back to the second week of the NCAA tournament, coach John Beilein will admit that this was a pretty important step for the Wolverines.

Beilein says it was good for the program to reach the round of 16 for the first time since 1994.

Before the tournament, Beilein said Michigan would keep progressing no matter what happened. The Wolverines play several freshmen and have been recruiting well in recent years.

But for a team that was ranked No. 1 in the nation earlier this season, another early exit from this tournament would have been jarring.