Jan. 27, 2011
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Two weeks ago, you could see progress with Michigan's basketball team. Or so it appeared.
Not anymore.
The Wolverines have regressed at a bad time and are likely headed for their third losing season in coach John Beilein's four years, and another finish near or at the bottom of the Big Ten.
Remember those encouraging back-to-back close-calls against top-five opponents Kansas and Ohio State? They were apparently aberrations.
Michigan (11-9) takes a six-game losing streak into Thursday night's rivalry game at Michigan State, which has won 18 of the last 21 in the series, including 11 straight at the Breslin Center.
If you think back to November, not much was expected of the Wolverines. Beilein said he would judge his inexperienced team -- no seniors on the roster, a starting lineup that features two freshmen, a redshirt freshman and a sophomore -- by how it improves throughout the season.
But when Michigan played Syracuse so tough, won at Clemson and beat up several cream-puffs for a 10-2 start, it looked as if Beilein might be working some of his magic. Taking Kansas to overtime and Ohio State down to the wire led to more optimism.
But three days after that Ohio State game, the Wolverines went to Indiana and lost, 80-61, while getting outrebounded, 37-18, and allowing the Hoosiers to make 67.4 percent of their shots. It is Indiana's only victory since Dec. 19, and quite possibly the turning point and defining moment in Michigan's season.
Another double-digit road loss to Northwestern after that and a home loss to Minnesota, which was without its point guard for the second half, has left the Wolverines reeling.
"We were real confident," junior Zack Novak said, thinking back a couple weeks. "Then we had some winnable games, games we could have won and there's games we should have won in there.
"But it's over now. We've got a great opportunity coming up here (at MSU). Go up there and get a win, that's a huge kick-start in the other direction."
Yes, it would be.
In reality, though, the Wolverines probably aren't going to win more than three of their final 11 regular-season games.
This is a team that lacks size and quality big men. The Wolverines' leading rebounder is Novak, who is 6-foot-4 and gets 6.3 boards per game.
That's a very impressive stat for Novak, a complete embarrassment for the frontcourt players.
Beilein's offensive system, meanwhile, is geared around three-point shooting, partly because there is no real post presence. The trouble is the Wolverines rank No. 212 nationally, ninth in the Big Ten, in three-point efficiency (33.1 percent).
Recent defensive breakdowns are largely because opponents are exposing Michigan's lack of quickness.
"Our quickness is not great, that's obvious," Beilein said. "We knew that. We're doing everything we can to change that in recruiting."
Beilein believes two high-school guards who will join the program next season -- 6-1 Carlton Brundidge (Southfield) and 6-1 Trey Burke (Columbus, Ohio) -- should make a difference. Brundidge is a four-star recruit, according to Scout.com.
"Help is on the way in the quickness area," Beilein promised. "But they're not going to help us this year. We've got to find other ways right now. You've just got to keep working at it. You find ways to make up for that difference by your instincts, your anticipation skills. The more you see it, the more you anticipate and you're ready for things."
Part of the reason Michigan has the Big Ten's youngest team goes back to the early departures of Manny Harris (left for NBA) and Laval Lucas-Perry (dismissed from program).
But much of it is simply an inability to bring in high-end recruits.
Beilein, 57, who has five years remaining on his contract, is trying to build the program with what amounts to a mid-major mentality: Rely on developing second-tier recruits and wait for them to blossom as upperclassmen.
Meanwhile, the top teams in the conference reload because they keep adding top talent that doesn't require as much time to develop.
In his four years, Beilein has a 22-39 Big Ten record (.361), including 1-6 this season. The Wolverines finished in ninth place in his first year and were tied for seventh the last two seasons. They are currently tied for ninth.
In fairness to Beilein, Michigan's facilities have been way behind the times. That has not helped his recruiting efforts.
But the university has finally come around and given the program a much-needed boost.
The Player Development Center, a 57,000-square-foot, $23.2-million practice facility, is scheduled to open next fall. Michigan's Board of Regents also recently approved a $52 million renovation of Crisler Arena, although a timetable was not announced.
Athletic director Dave Brandon claims the makeover will turn Crisler into "a first-class, modern venue that will be among the best in the country."
Which means one of two things, depending on your viewpoint:
It either gives Beilein a chance to finally land more top recruits.
Or it will put an end to the biggest excuse why he can't.
Maybe both.
