Michigan Basketball: 3 Things we learned in Wolverines loss to Wisconsin

Michigan basketball lost as a strong favorite at home to Wisconsin Thursday night in what was a costly defeat. Here are three things we learned.

Just when everything seemed to be going right for the Michigan basketball team, starting shooting guard Eli Brooks suffered a broken nose.

It happened in the win against Purdue last weekend, but it ended up proving quite costly to the Wolverines, who just weren’t the same team without Brooks in an 81-74 loss at the hands of Wisconsin Thursday night at the Crisler Center.

The defense which hadn’t allowed 70 points or more in eight straight outings, was torched by the Badgers, who knocked down 11 3-pointers, while holding the Wolverines to just three.

It was crazy, watching the Badgers beat Michigan at its own game. With a bigger lineup in place of Brooks, Wisconsin attacked the basket and that opened up the 3-point shot. Essentially, it’s what the Wolverines generally do with Wagner and Isaiah Livers when they are matched up against a bigger, slower player.

Thursday, that was Michigan and the Wolverines couldn’t take advantage of it on the offensive end. Wisconsin, again, did what U-M loves to do, which is limit 3-point attempts and force two 2-point shots.

Zavier Simpson scored 32 points but that’s not a formula Michigan basketball has success with and Wisconsin played things perfectly. It was a costly defeat that means the Wolverines more than likely won’t finish in the top four of the Big Ten.

Beyond that, there are three things we learned.