It’s been quite some time since Michigan has enjoyed a start in the B1G quite as good as this.

Thursday night, the Wolverines added another tally to the win column with a 71-64 home victory over Rutgers, improving to 15-1 on the season and 10-1 in B1G play. Thanks to the hot start, Michigan is sitting atop the conference standings.

Only in his second year as the head coach in Ann Arbor, Juwan Howard has the Wolverines off to their best start in conference play in nearly 45 years. It’s the hottest the team has been in the B1G since an 11-1 start in B1G competition during the 1976-77 season.

That year, Michigan finished with a 26-4 record and a 16-2 record in B1G games. The Wolverines reached the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament.

What’s particularly impressive about Michigan’s season is how well it has played since a 3-week pause. Over the weekend, the Wolverines overcame a 12-point halftime road deficit to No. 21 Wisconsin in their first game after the lengthy pause. Howard’s team is now 2-0 since returning to the floor.

Michigan will have its biggest test of the season on Sunday, taking on No. 4 Ohio State in an epic B1G showdown. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. with the game airing on CBS.