Michigan Basketball: 3 takeaways from late loss to Seton Hall

Not time to panic

Michigan should have beaten Seton Hall and the Wolverines lost by two points so they easily could have won the game, especially with another free throw or two down the stretch.

But Caleb Houstan isn’t going to have many 1-for-9 nights. He got good looks and Juwan ran some quality stuff to get him open, he just didn’t make the shots. It happens. I don’t expect it to keep happening.

Houstan will improve and so will others such as Moussa and Kobe Bufkin who made a positive impression in limited minutes. These guys were McDonald’s All-Americans for a reason, but still, there’s an adjustment to big-time college basketball and last night was the first taste.

The Wolverines will respond. This team still has the best (for my money) player in the Big Ten and the professor. That right there can win you a lot of games if everyone else is just competent.

But as poorly as Michigan played at times, it still led by 11 points in the second half despite missing its first 11 3-pointers and shooting 20 percent from 3-point range.

The defense was solid and good enough to win the game. Michigan will win a lot of games with defense and Hunter Dickinson.

It also has some things to figure out, especially with its rotation. It will take time but once the Wolverines find their winning formula, they will be dangerous.

It’s just going to take longer to mesh than it did last season.