The Michigan basketball team — yes, the same team that won just 10 games last year; the same team that lost a whopping 22; the same team that hasn’t made the NCAA Tournament since 1998 — is sitting at No. 3 in the Big Ten standings.

After today’s 64-49 dismantling of a clearly outmatched Iowa squad, few cane deny the Wolverines are a much better team than a year ago. Michigan fought for the tough rebounds, forced turnovers on defense and so thoroughly beat up the Hawkeyes that even benchwarmers like redshirt freshman Eric Puls saw some playing time.

After a rough game last Wednesday at Indiana, where he shot just 4-for-12 from the field, sophomore Manny Harris settled down and played more like himself. He was an efficient 6-of12 with 18 points and added 8 rebounds and four steals that led to easy transition points.

But the bigger surprise was the Wolverines’ defensive performance. Iowa — which boasts the 10th-ranked offense in the Big Ten, just above Indiana — was completely stifled all game. The Hawkeyes managed just 16 first-half points, turning the ball over eight times, most of which were forced by Michigan in its aggressive 1-3-1 defensive set.

All told, Iowa shot a measly 39 percent from the field and never found a comfort zone on the offense end.

Check tomorrow’s Michigan Daily for more comprehensive coverage of today’s game.