The 2010–11 team was not expected to be very successful, projected by the "Detroit News" to finish 10th in the 11-team conference. After starting the conference schedule with a 1–6 record the team won eight of its last 11 games, including two games against Michigan State (its first season sweep against them in 14 years), to finish tied for fourth in the conference with a 9–9 record. The victory at Michigan State was Michigan's first since 1997. In the Big Ten Tournament, Michigan's win over Illinois gave Beilein his second 20-win season at Michigan, in his 1,000th game as a head coach. As a #8 seed in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, Michigan defeated Tennessee 75–45, establishing two NCAA Tournament records: the largest victory margin by an eight seed, and becoming the first team to ever win a tournament game without making a free throw. Michigan won by its third-largest margin in its NCAA tournament history (second-most if vacated games are excluded), and the game marked the ninth straight time that John Beilein led a team to victory in its first game of a postseason tournament (5 NCAA and 4 NIT). In the next round the Wolverines lost to #1-seeded Duke, 73–71, missing a potential game-tying shot in the final seconds.