In his fourth year, Michigan women's basketball coach Kevin Borseth has guided the Wolverines to 10 Big Ten wins, two victories over Ohio State and their highest conference tournament seed in recent memory.

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Kevin Borseth can't afford to sacrifice time considering how his Michigan women's basketball team has played its way into the position it finds itself.

He can appreciate the Wolverines' 10 Big Ten wins, but doesn't get wrapped up in the fact it has been a decade since it happened last. He will gladly accept the No. 3 seed in this weekend's conference tournament in Indianapolis, but realizes a first-round bye doesn't make capturing a tournament championship any easier.

There have been signature wins that have put the Wolverines in position to receive an NCAA Tournament berth for the first time in a decade. But that, too, doesn't carry much weight with work to be done starting Friday (approximately 2:30 p.m., Big Ten Network) against either Wisconsin or Illinois.

"I don't think anybody in this conference thinks they've got an easy draw in that tournament because everybody is so doggone competitive," Borseth said this week.

"I think the difference between the bottom of the conference and the top of the conference isn't a big deal -- it's a basket here and a basket there. So it's going to be a dogfight."

By now, the Wolverines are well-prepared for that. Michigan's last three games have all been decided in the final 5 seconds. The Wolverines clinched a first-round bye Sunday with a 58-55 win over Illinois when Rachel Sheffer converted a 3-point play with a tenth of a second left.

That capped a regular-season filled with ups and downs. Twice Michigan knocked off five-time Big Ten champion Ohio State, highlighting a season that included five conference road wins and four wins over Top 25 teams. But there were also some disappointments, including a double-overtime loss to Minnesota last week that Borseth worried could have lingering effects on his team.

Still, Michigan enters the tournament with a heavy dose of confidence. With the exception of Big Ten champion Michigan State, No. 2-seed Penn State and Minnesota, the Wolverines have notched at least one win against every Big Ten team. That gives Borseth's players hope that, at any given time, they could pull off a win necessary to strengthen their NCAA chances.

"I think we're very confident," Sheffer said. "We've never been (in this position) and last year, we weren't where we wanted to be. Knowing that we're here now, we've just got to exceed and go to the next level."

If Michigan hopes to accomplish that, toughness -- both mental and physical -- will play a key role. Having faced most Big Ten teams twice during the regular season, game-planning for any one opponent won't be an issue. Yet, in a tournament in which less fouls are typically called than during the regular season, Borseth is preparing his team to have to fight for everything it gets.

Michigan's finishing stretch of close games -- which included three wins in four outings -- may prove valuable. Outside of the disappointing Minnesota loss, the Wolverines have proven they have an ability to finish well, something that may serve them well this weekend in Indianapolis.

"We feel like we've done a bit during the regular season to be able to secure the post-season," senior guard Veronica Hicks said. "Now, we're going into the Big Ten really focused on winning that tournament and not so much trying to make room for ourselves."

The latest ESPN Bracketology has the Wolverines in the NCAA field, locked in as a No. 8 seed in a regional that also includes powerhouse Connecticut. Like everything else he can't control, Borseth doesn't waste time worrying about such things.

Instead, he has faith the regular season has seasoned the Wolverines well, keeping them on pace to continue what has already been a special season. Before he allows his team to consider what could be, he has his players focused on what is.

"We're like every other team. We're out there to try and prove we're the best team in the league," Borseth said. "In order to do that, we have to lace 'em up game day and come out ready to play."

Jeff Arnold covers Michigan sports for AnnArbor.com and can be reached at (734) 623-2554 or by e-mail at jeffarnold@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeffreyparnold.