The team played its home games in Ann Arbor, Michigan at Crisler Center for the 45th consecutive year.

Fifth-year head coach John Beilein led the team, alongside All-Big Ten players Trey Burke, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Zack Novak.

Burke was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and was Michigan's first Associated Press All-American honoree since 1998.

[5] The incoming class included Carlton Brundidge and 2011 Ohio Mr. Basketball point guard Trey Burke.

[9] Max Bielfeldt committed to Michigan in April despite his family's ties to the Illinois Fighting Illini.

[10][11] Sai Tummala, who along with Bielfeldt was recruited by Ivy League schools, rounded out the incoming class.

[32] Burke earned his second Freshman of the Week honor on December 12 after scoring a season-high 20 points and nine assists in the game.

[34] In the final two non-conference games of the season, Smotrycz scored his first two double-doubles against Alabama A&M and Bradley on December 17 and 22.

[35][36] Heading into the Big Ten Conference schedule, both of the teams Michigan had lost to were ranked (Duke was 7th and 5th in the AP and Coaches' polls and Virginia was 23rd and 24th).

[37] On December 29, Michigan won its first Big Ten Conference opener since 2006–07, beating Penn State as Smotrycz extended his double-double streak to three games.

[42] On January 1, 2012, he added a career-high 27 points on 8-for-11 shooting with three rebounds and three assists against Minnesota to earn Big Ten Conference Player of the Week the following day.

[53] In the first game of the 2012 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament against Minnesota, Burke led the team to victory with a career-high 30 points.

[57] Michigan entered the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament seeded fourth, but lost to the thirteenth-seeded Ohio Bobcats 65–60.

[61] The team posted the following statistics:[62] Five of the 30 nominees for the men's basketball Lowe's Senior CLASS Award were from the Big Ten, including Michigan's Zack Novak.

[82] At the end of the season, three players (Evan Smotrycz, Carlton Brundidge and Colton Christian) decided to leave the program.

[89] Canadian wing guard Nik Stauskas gave Michigan its second verbal commitment for the class of 2012 on March 26, 2011.

[90] On November 3, Mitch McGary, who was ranked as the number-two prospect in the nation at the time, announced his verbal commitment to Michigan.