Before the season, Michigan men’s basketball coach John Beilein knew what the Wolverines needed to do to make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.

Turn some heads in the nonconference season. Two wins against top-five opponents on national television — check.

Protect Crisler Arena against Big Ten foes. A decisive 10-point victory over an improved Illinois team, even when Crisler was less-than-imposing because students were home on break — the jury’s still out, but signs point to check.

Steal a few conference games on the road. That’s not so easy.

With a travel schedule that includes upcoming games at Illinois, Ohio State, Purdue, Wisconsin and Minnesota, the Wolverines’ game tonight against struggling Indiana — their only contest against the bottom-feeding Hoosiers this year — is crucial, despite Indiana’s lack of depth and veteran talent.

“(With) the state of our program right now, any win on the road is just huge for us,” Beilein said. “We haven’t had a lot of road experience, so this would really be an important win for us, just in the conference and going on the road. Because that could be contagious as well.”

Finding success in rival Big Ten gyms would be just another step for the Wolverines to put last year’s dismal 10-22 season behind them. Although a win at Indiana — where they haven’t won since 1995 — might not look like much to a selection committee, it could give the Wolverines confidence going into the meat of Big Ten play.

Beilein knows that his team will more than likely slip up on the road at some point this season— but Michigan won’t be the only team to do that.

“When Sparta went to Athens, they probably lost, and when Athens went to Sparta, they probably lost,” Beilein said. “This has been going on for a long time, We’re not going to be the first team to have trouble winning on the road.”

The Wolverines (1-1 Big Ten, 11-3 overall) could face an adjustment period early while they get used to playing in front of a hostile crowd, like the one they’ll face in Indiana’s Assembly Hall. Michigan has only played one true road game this season, a loss to Maryland.

Last year, Michigan played six games away from home, including losses to Harvard and Duke. Although Beilein acknowledges the pros of scheduling tough road games early in the season, he’s not too worried about the Wolverines’ lack of road-game experience.

“At this point, you’d like to have had some success on the road,” Beilein said. “But I thought our team this year didn’t need to have a schedule like last year, where the road games became road losses, and you lose your confidence.”

Freshman Zack Novak, who seems to be building confidence with every game, will likely get his first road start today despite receiving six stitches above his left eye during the Wolverines’ win over the Fighting Illini. With stars Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims likely drawing heavy pressure all game, Novak’s light-out, fearless shooting could be the difference down the stretch if he gets a few good looks.

Growing up, the Chesterton, Ind., native used to root for the Hoosiers and made the three-and-a-half-hour trip to Bloomington several times to watch games from the stands. He even attended former Indiana coach Bobby Knight’s basketball camps, where the coach taught him and the other attendees, “If you see a nice-lookin’ girl, turn and run the other way, ‘cause she’s going to kill you.”

“That’s what I remember sticking with me,” Novak said with a laugh. “I was in third grade, and he was telling me about girls.”