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Michigan Basketball Must Make Strides on Defense

By Chris Peterson

Mar 18, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Demetrius Jackson (11) drives to the basket against Michigan Wolverines forward Mark Donnal (34) in the second half in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Demetrius Jackson (11) drives to the basket against Michigan Wolverines forward Mark Donnal (34) in the second half in the first round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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When it came to scoring the basketball in 2015-16, the Michigan basketball team was pretty solid, but when it came to stopping opponents, it was another story entirely.

Sometimes the old adage that defense wins championships, can get a little old. But when it comes to the Michigan basketball team, those are words that the Wolverines need to take to heart.

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The Wolverines, who made the NCAA tournament but were unable to advance past the second round, thanks in part to a defensive collapse in the second half of a loss to Notre Dame, will have March Madness aspirations again in 2016-17. But, if they are going to take a step forward, it has to start with improvement on defense.

Last season, Michigan basketball ranked a lowly 109th in Ken Pomeroy’s defensive efficiency rankings. That ranking happened to be the worst among any power five school in the NCAA tournament.

The Wolverines were able to mask it a bit by an effective offensive attack that ranked 42nd in the nation. That’s not unusual for Michigan basketball, which has always excelled on the offensive end under head coach John Beilien.

However, if Michigan wants to get back in the Big Ten title hunt next season, it will need to take a big leap on defense and Beilein may have found the man to help his program do just that in newly hired assistant Billy Donlon.

Donlon, who comes to Michigan after a stint as the head coach of Wright State, is a defensive-minded coach and one that could almost serve as Beilien’s defensive coordinator.

During his past three seasons as Wright State, Donlon’s team’s ranked 30th, 38th and 50th in defensive efficiency. He also had a team at UNC-Wilmington that finished as high as 20th.

It’s not that Beilien is a bad defensive coach or that he doesn’t know how to coach on that end of the floor. But the proof is in the pudding, his teams have struggled and he knows it. That also why he hired Donlon.

Beilien also said he will be more willing to hand over control on either end of the court, to an assistant. At least more so, than in the past.

“We may do more of that than I’ve ever done,” Beilien said. “I may put more responsibility on a particular coach. Whether it’s offense or defense. We haven’t had a lot of time, we’ve been out recruiting, but I can’t wait to sit down and talk and find out what (Donlon’s) ideas are., what ours are and try to blend them.”

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Smart coaches can recognize weaknesses in their programs. Beilien saw one and he did his best to fix it by hiring Donlon. Time will tell if the move pays off.

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