Under the direction of head coach Dave Strack, the team won the Big Ten Conference Championship.

[8] On February 18, 1966, Craig Dill went 12 for 12 in free throw attempts against Ohio State, which was a school single-game record for most without a miss until C. J. Kupec made 14 on January 2, 1975.

[9] 1965-66 Overall: 18-8 Big Ten: 11-3 (1st | Champions)[10] Postseason: NCAA (Mideast) (Elite Eight) Head Coach: Dave Strack Staff: James Skala & Tom Jorgensen (Freshmen) Captain: Oliver Darden Home Arena: Yost Field House (7,500) (1) Played in Chicago, Ill. (Chicago Stadium) (2) Played in Detroit, Mich. (Cobo Arena) (3) Far West Classic, Portland, Ore. (Memorial Coliseum) (4) NCAA Tournament, Iowa City, Iowa (Iowa Field House) In the 22-team 1966 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, Michigan reached the elite eight in the Mideast region by earning a bye and defeating the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 80–79.

[11][12] Russell won the Chicago Tribune Silver Basketball as Big Ten MVP for a second year in a row.

[2][13] When Russell was selected as a 1966 NCAA Men's Basketball All-American for the third year in a row it was the first three-time recognition for a Wolverine.

Furthermore, he surpassed John Tidwell's single-game total of 43 with a 45-point effort on December 11, 1965, against San Francisco and then established the current school record of 48 on March 5, 1966, against Northwestern.

[9] On December 1, 1964, the team began a 17-game home winning streak against the Ball State that continued through a January 29, 1966, victory over Wisconsin.