Michigan Basketball: Gut reactions from loss to Kentucky

Michigan basketball lost another winnable game against Kentucky on Sunday and here are the highlights as well as gut reactions.

It feels a little like a broken record but there were some positive moments for Michigan basketball against 19th-ranked Kentucky. However, there weren’t enough and the Wolverines dropped a winnable game by a score of 73-69.

The offensive glass was the difference. Kentucky grabbed 10 offensive rebounds (32 percent of its misses) compared to just five for the Wolverines and in a tight game, it cost Michigan.

Hunter Dickinson did his best to keep Michigan basketball in it and he scored 23 points but needed 22 shots to do it. Michigan shot 39 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3-point range.

Michigan covered the spread but on the key possession of the game, Kentucky drilled a 3-pointer to go up five and on the other end, Jett Howard missed a wide-open 3-point shot to make it a one-possession game.

At some point, it comes down to making and missing shots. The Wolverines just didn’t make enough or execute well enough in the last two minutes against Virginia earlier this week or on Saturday in London against Kentucky.

Here are the gut reactions.

Gut reactions from Michigan’s basketball loss to Kentucky

• Hunter Dickinson was good but needed to be great and more efficient for Michigan to win the game. The Wildcats are good at defending the paint and it showed.
• Jett Howard and Kobe Bufkin played well but missed too many shots. They combined for 36 percent (8 of 22) and that’s not good enough. The missed free throws hurt too.
• Dug McDaniel is going to have to grow up quickly at point guard. He played well though with five points, a 3-pointer, and zero turnovers.
• Juwan should re-think always sitting guys who have two fouls.
• Isaiah Barnes could use more minutes.
• Rebounding is still a major issue. No one outside of Dickinson rebounded (9) more than four in the loss to Kentucky.
• The role players like Terrance Williams have to hit more shots.
• Juwan is going to earn his salary if Jaelin Llewellyn is out for an extended period of time.
• This team wanted to avoid the bubble but unless it can close out some wins, it will be headed right back there.