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After their best performance of the season, the Michigan Wolverines Men’s basketball team took a step back in their defeat against the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Michigan’s lack of consistency has been a problem all year long. There have been times when they’ve looked like a top-10 team, like on Thursday against Purdue. However, there have also been times, like against Ohio State, where they haven’t looked like an NCAA tournament team.
The Wolverines seemed like they couldn’t miss just two days ago, knocking down 12 3s on 57% shooting from deep. It was the exact opposite in their contest against the Buckeyes, as Michigan hit just 4, shooting a measly 24% from 3. It wasn’t that Michigan couldn’t get good looks, they were getting getting looks from everywhere, they just weren’t making them.
“Yeah we got good looks,” Eli Brooks told the media after the game. “We missed a lot of layups, a lot of bunnies, a lot of stuff around the rim that we should’ve made. It’s tough when you don’t make the easy ones.”
This wasn’t the first time Michigan followed up a strong performance with a weak one. Consistency is something that championship teams possess, and Michigan is still searching for it.
“Continue to trust,” Brooks said in regards to another let down that came after a big win. “We’ve got seven more games. We just have to take advantage of the opportunities that lie in front of us. Take the good, take the bad from the all of the games, wins and losses, and try to learn from it, be a better team the next game.”
The good news for Michigan: the opportunities that lie ahead are plentiful, and the team also gets four days rest before their next game, which is big considering the Wolverines have played three games in the last five days.
Michigan will be on the road for both games next week, traveling to Iowa City to face Iowa on Thursday, and heading to Madison to square off with Wisconsin on Sunday.
The Wolverines currently sit at 13-10 and 7-6 in conference play.