Sad News: what Michigan coach discovered about his team…

Lindsay Budin: No amount of work can save Michigan’s ’season.w

WEST LAFAYETTE: It’s nothing to be alarmed about losing to the nation’s team. There’s a reason, after all, why the Michigan men’s basketball team entered Mackey Arena as a 17.5-point favorite.

However, the Wolverines didn’t just fall short against Purdue; they didn’t even try.

And after the Wolverines suffered a heartbreaking 99-67 loss, Michigan coach Juwan Howard appeared to have only one realization about the team’s difficult future.

However, they are only able to accomplish so much. And given how poorly Michigan played in almost every area of the game on Tuesday, it is clear that the team has many weaknesses.

The boilermakers are ranked No. 2 for good reason because of their abundance of talents. Zach Edey, a 7-foot-4 center, is the best in the nation, which gives Purdue a significant advantage down low.

If that was the only thing that prevented the Wolverines from winning, they could return to Ann Arbor knowing exactly what needed to be improved.

However, that was untrue.

Because the Boilermakers, not Edey, dominated Michigan.

While Edey’s 16-point double-double was undoubtedly problematic, the Wolverines also gave up 14 3-pointers. That also included failing to match Purdue’s physicality without drawing fouls. Likewise, Michigan had fewer field goals than the Boilermakers had assists. The list is endless.

Along with the worries from their numerous prior defeats, the Wolverines return home with a long list of problems that need to be resolved.

” Howard said . “To ensure that we compete with a group of guys who want to be out there and want to play at the level of a winning team, we’re going to roll up our sleeves and keep scratching and clawing.”

Although Howard’s assessment of Michigan’s difficult road ahead is fair, it doesn’t provide a complete picture. The Wolverines’ development remains murky at best after nineteen games of the season, and their difficulties against Purdue highlight that.

From the beginning, Michigan struggled with losing rebounds, making mistakes on defense, and not helping the offense progress.

Howard stated, “We have a lot of work ahead of us.”