ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Michigan is treating the regular season like it's the NCAA tournament. The Wolverines don't exactly have a choice, of course -- they're barred from postseason play.

After losing their first six games, the Wolverines have turned things around nicely, winning 12 straight games, including their first 5-0 Big Ten start in 26 years.

When senior LaVell Blanchard decided to cross the street from Ann Arbor Pioneer High School to attend Michigan, he had big dreams: Big Ten titles, national championships.

But he got caught in the scandal that's now going on seven years regarding former booster Ed Martin, who said he gave Chris Webber and three other Michigan players more than $600,000.

Brian Ellerbe, Blanchard's first coach, was fired two seasons ago. Many of his teammates have transferred or been kicked off the team because of various problems.

Those painful memories could be erased if the Wolverines continue their winning streak and capture the school's first conference title since 1986.

"It would be beautiful," Blanchard said. "It's everybody's goal to win a national championship, but we can't do that. But we can still accomplish other goals, like trying to win the Big Ten, and as many games as possible.

"We have to look at every game as crucial, because we don't have a chance to move on. We don't have a chance to go to the Final Four, or the NCAA tournament, or the NIT."

The 12-game winning streak is Michigan's longest since the 1992-93 season - Year Two of Webber and the rest of the Fab Five. The Wolverines are off to their best conference start since they went 8-0 in the 1976-77 season.

Oklahoma State is the only team in the nation with a longer active winning streak at 13 games.

If the Wolverines beat Michigan State at home Sunday, they'll snap an eight-game losing streak in the series and will have their longest winning streak since the 1987-88 season.

"They're playing good, real good," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "They've bounced back after an incredibly poor start. You can't beat how they're playing right now."

Second-year Wolverines coach Tommy Amaker credited Blanchard for helping the team stay afloat after it could have folded in November, when the school imposed several sanctions on the basketball team in hopes of preventing harsher punishment from the NCAA.

"When you look at our stats, watch us play and analyze our strengths and weaknesses, it's obvious that when he's playing at a high level and to his potential, things flow for us," Amaker said. "It starts with him."

"As a coach and a teacher, these are the moments that you pray for," Amaker added. "Certainly, with LaVell, I couldn't be more happy. He is the key for us. It's nice to see LaVell get the kind of recognition that he deserves. If anybody deserves it, he does."

During the winning streak, Blanchard has averaged 19.4 points and 7.7 rebounds while making 47.1 percent of his shots and 45.3 percent on 3-pointers. During the losing streak, he was averaging 14.7 points and 6.2 rebounds while connecting on 41.1 percent of his shots overall and 33.3 percent beyond the 3-point line.

Other players have made key contributions: Point guard Daniel Horton is averaging 15.8 points and 4.4 assists and is the first freshman in Michigan history to be named Big Ten player of the week twice.

Forward Bernard Robinson is scoring 12.6 points, grabbing 6.2 rebounds per game and has become an all-around threat, thanks to a new commitment to defense. In addition to Horton, two freshmen -- shooting guard Lester Abram and center Graham Brown -- are solid starters, and two more are key reserves.

Amaker is reluctant to enjoy his team's recent success because there are 11 Big Ten games left, as well as the conference tournament. The season could very well end the way it began.

"As I said when we were struggling and 0-6, it's a long horse race, and I'll say that again right now," he said.