Michigan's Zack Novak fights for space against Connecticut freshman Alex Oriakhi, left, last season in Michigan's 68-63 victory.

File photo

A year ago, the Michigan basketball team was struggling midway through the season with a 9-7 record when the Wolverines found a January spark.

Fans stormed the court at Crisler Arena when Michigan knocked off No. 15 Connecticut, 68-65, in a marquee nonconference game in the middle of the Big Ten season.

Not many college teams schedule tough nonconference matchups in the middle of the season, but Michigan coach John Beilein has.

Michigan (11-4, 1-2 Big Ten) has another tough nonconference game Sunday as it plays No. 3 Kansas (4:30 p.m., CBS) in the middle of its roughest three-game stretch of the season.

Is that a good thing?

“It can be dangerous but there can also be rewards,” Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. “I go back a few years ago. We had lost at Wisconsin, came home and played Tennessee and went on to win 22 straight games (in 2006-07). … Even last year, we lost at West Virginia and only lost two more games the rest of the year.

“So you look at it both ways, depending on how your players and head coaches want to spin it.”

Michigan lost five of its next six games after beating UConn last season and finished with a 15-17 record.

So why take the risk? Coaches outlined three reasons.

• Rhythm: There are gaps in the Big Ten schedule, and a big nonconference game helps keep players in their routine of a game every three days, Matta said.

• Relief: A marquee game can provide a respite from the constant grind of league play for a contending team, Matt said.

• Exposure: “You’d be on national television, although we get great exposure being in the Big East, those games would be seen by a lot more eyeballs,” Providence coach Keno Davis said. “Sometimes just that opportunity to have that marquee game where you’re going to be known around the country if you win that marquee game as being another option of having a big win when it comes to NCAA tournament games at the end of the season, try to bolster your ranking.”

In 2008-09, big non-conference wins over UCLA and Duke helped propel Michigan into the NCAA tournament. Even a year ago, when Michigan beat Connecticut, it vaulted it back into the bubble conversation.

A win on Sunday for Michigan would likely do the same this season.

“If you win it and you play well, you say at the end of the day ‘these are the kind of games we need,’” Northwestern coach Bill Carmody said. “If you lose it, it goes the other way. I don’t think it affects the players or coaching staff that much.

“The reason you play it is you play against a good team on national television, and so you’re also thinking about the program, helping the program.”

The final reason — and it is why it isn’t a dangerous game necessarily for Michigan — is to fill the arena. The Wolverines have problems filling Crisler when it isn’t a marquee or semi-local opponent in the building.

Playing Kansas guarantees a great atmosphere and playing it in January or February allows Michigan’s student section, the Maize Rage, to be in attendance.

“I want our students to be on campus, and I want it to be a national TV game, and I want it to be a weekend game,” Michigan coach John Beilein said. “And it’s got to be a national opponent so finding that in December, if you’re in exams or not in exams, they may be in exams. The Thanksgiving tournaments have taken away with three games and then the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

“It’s difficult to find that date. We’re finding that second weekend, at least at home, the second weekend, one of these weekends in January is pretty good.”

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein