Michigan Basketball: 3 takeaways from hard fought loss to Purdue

Michigan basketball could have quit in the first half and got blown out, but the Wolverines were in it until the end in what turned out to be a close loss at Purdue.

Purdue appeared primed to blow out Michigan basketball in West Lafayette Saturday afternoon, but it never got too far out of hand.

Their biggest lead was 12 because Michigan kept within striking distance until the Wolverines ran out of time. It’s by no means a morale victory but is something that can help them with mentally when they meet up again in Ann Arbor this Thursday night.

Here are the three takeaways from the loss.

1. Hunter Dickinson is playing the best basketball of his life

The season hasn’t gone as planned, but there is no disputing that Hunter Dickinson is giving everything he has to this team. He’s been on a roll of historic proportions and Michigan basketball has little to nothing to show for it. The Wolverines sit at 11-9 and .500 in the Big Ten standings.

Can’t blame Dickinson one bit for that.

His jump shot game has been on point most of the year. That’s what the NBA scouts wanted him to work on and he’s done just that. He’s put in 79 points the last three outings and scored over 21 or more in six of the last seven. He would clearly be player of the year in the Big Ten if it wasn’t for his team’s struggles.

Dickinson’s 28 matched his career-high that he recorded in early January of 2021 in a win over Minnesota.

At the rate he is going, he’s likely to surpass that mark sooner rather than later. Getting him some continual help is integral to Michigan’s postseason chances and getting this season back on track.