“Situations that happen like what happened with Juwan Howard, it can either go right or left” - Kendrick Perkins says Michigan has the potential to win it all in March Madness

Juwan Howard and the Michigan Wolverines, once a bubble team, are now scorching after notching two upsets to reach the Sweet 16.

After being ranked sixth in the preseason poll, Michigan struggled throughout the year. Things got worse when Howard was suspended by the Big Ten after a postgame confrontation last month that generated headlines and hot takes.

But Michigan managed to make the tournament as a No. 11 seed in the South. After upsetting 24th-ranked Colorado State 75-63 and fifth-ranked Tennessee 76-68, the Wolverines are one of four double-digit teams in the Sweet 16.

On ESPN's "Swagu & Perk," basketball analyst Kendrick Perkins praised Howard and Michigan, saying they have the potential to win it all.

"Be careful," Perkins said. "If Michigan wins it all. I'm just telling you. Because situations that happen like what happened with Juwan Howard, it can either go right or left. And right now it seems like it's going all the way right."

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Juwan Howard and the Michigan Wolverines making noise in the NCAA Tournament

Michigan continues to impress in the NCAA tournament

While it hasn't been the path they had hoped for, Juwan Howard and the Michigan Wolverines are finding their groove at the perfect time.

Michigan has become one of the more fascinating underdogs remaining in the tournament. The roster is full of talent, and the team is finally starting to click.

Michigan's next game will present its biggest challenge as the Wolverines prepare to take on a tough Villanova Wildcats team in the Sweet 16. If the Wolverines can shock the basketball world again, they may start to give off some serious team-of-destiny vibes.

Unranked Michigan (19-14) will face sixth-ranked and second-seeded Villanova (28-7) on Thursday in San Antonio, Texas. Second-ranked Arizona (33-3), the South's No. 1 seed, will face 15th-ranked Houston (31-5) in the region's other semifinal.

The winners meet Saturday in the Elite Eight.

Michigan has won one national championship in school history, in 1989 under Steve Fisher. The school has been the national runner-up six times in eight Final Four appearances. Their last Final Four appearance came in 2018.

For a team that was ranked in the top 10 at the start of the season, it's been a rollercoaster season for the Wolverines.

There's still a chance for Michigan to deliver on the preseason hype. It wasn't the path the Wolverines expected to get to the Sweet 16, but there could still be a storybook ending.