Especially after the Wolverines' 81-73 victory over Duke before a sellout crowd at Crisler Arena on Saturday afternoon. It even included a rush onto the court by fans at the end. They jumped up and down for ESPN's cameras. For sure, it was a victory suitable for framing against the previously undefeated Blue Devils. That makes two victories for Michigan (6-2) over top-five schools in a couple of weeks. On Nov. 20, Michigan stunned UCLA. 'This team is definitely on the uprise, even without this win,' said junior forward DeShawn Sims, who had a monster game with 28 points and 12 rebounds. 'You can see in our play that we're more consistent throughout the first eight games of the season. 'And it's a journey that we're enjoying. It's hard. It's painful. We're looking to get somewhere at the end of the year.' More from SimsIf that's going to be the case -- the Big Dance in March -- Michigan will need more games like this from Sims, not the 12-point, seven-rebound effort he had against Maryland. 'I just hope it keeps elevating to this potential,' Sims said about his play. 'Guys who have seen me play throughout my career -- including high school -- know I have great potential. I'm trying to reach it as much as I can this season.' Flukes happen in college basketball all the time. All it takes is an off shooting night and what you thought was a sure victory becomes a loss. That's what happened to Duke, which beat Michigan easily Nov. 21 in at Madison Square Garden in New York. Here, the Blue Devils shot a woeful 2-for-18 from 3-point land in the first half and had no free throws. Hard work pays offBut make no mistake about it. Michigan won this game. It played harder than Duke (8-1). Best of all, the Wolverines answered with big shots down the stretch and made free throws. That's why they were in a mob scene at the end. Michigan made a statement -- even if that wasn't the goal. A victory like this can only help get folks watching this team again, students more interested in coming to games on campus, and recruits interested in playing basketball at a well-documented football school. 'It's getting rebuilt,' sophomore guard Manny Harris said about Michigan's program. 'We're trying to put it back on the map and that's where I think it's going. 'We're going to be back to the Michigan everybody knows and loves.' Jimmy King, one of the Fab Five, was in the tunnel after the game wearing a huge smile. King, who performs radio color duties, knows it could be the start of something special. Before the season, Michigan coach John Beilein, in his second season, said that there would be a lot of ups and downs. 'This is the good part of the rollercoaster,' he joked. And we saw the bad part, too. After beating UCLA, they struggled to beat Savannah State in OT. They also lost to Maryland. 'It's big, but we have to continue to work hard,' Harris said. 'When you do something good, you can mess up. You have to stay at it and try to get better from this.' It's might not be the time to proclaim that Michigan basketball is, indeed, back. But you would be foolish not to take notice of what is happening up here. 'I'm sure a lot of people saw that or will hear about it,' Beilein said. It simply means Michigan matters again. You can reach Rob Parker at [email protected].