3 takeaways from Michigan Basketball’s loss to Rutgers

Michigan basketball suffered its first-ever loss to Rutgers on Tuesday night and here are three takeaways following another tough showing from the Wolverines. 

A year ago, everything seemed to go right for Michigan basketball. So far in 2021-22, everything has gone the exact opposite way.

DeVante Jones hasn’t been the player Michigan basketball thought it was getting when it landed the former Sun Belt Player of the Year in the transfer portal. Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate are talented freshmen but aren’t ready for big-time college basketball yet.

The Wolverines were short-handed on Tuesday night due to COVID-19 but would Frankie Collins, Terrance Williams, and Brandon Johns have made much of a difference?

Michigan was down by 11 points in the blink of an eye and here is a look at three takeaways from another woeful performance by the Wolverines.

The defense is atrocious

Rutgers isn’t a good offensive team and Michigan basketball allowed the Scarlet Knights to score 1.11 points per possession. Rutgers shot the lights out (11-of-23 from 3-point range) but a big reason for that is just bad defense.

The Wolverines have struggled all season with defensive rotations. It’s literally been an issue since the Buffalo game and just hasn’t improved. You expected some dropoff from last season but with the athletes and all these pieces, the defense should be better.

Michigan is solid defensively at times but it’s not consistent. And a lack of consistency, in all areas, is probably the biggest concern, outside of the defense, for the Wolverines right now.