The late season slump has arrived for Michigan basketball after the Wolverines lost their second straight game at home.
After losing to Illinois on Sunday, Michigan had a top-15 opponent in Maryland at Crisler on Wednesday and while the game was closer, the outcome was the same: a 71-65 defeat.
Michigan now needs Michigan State to lose on Thursday to have a chance at a share of the title on Sunday. However, this doesn't feel at all like a team capable of winning at the Breslin Center.
Maryland led by double digits in the first half after a 21-4 run. Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin each played well. They both scored 20 points, but after that, Tre Donaldson was the only other player to reach double figures with 10.
Defensively, Michigan played well enough to win the game. Maryland made nine 3-pointers but shot 38 percent overall and needed 14 free throws to get 71 points. The problem for Michigan is shooting. The 3-point shooting was better but the offense continues to struggle and here are three things we learned from a troubling loss at home to Maryland.
Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin are having to do too much
Wolf and Goldin scored 40 points combined on Wednesday night but probably needed more like 50 to win the game. That will happen every so often, but Michigan can't count on that. Other guys have to step up.
Danny Wolf knocked down two triples, which was a positive. He looked like himself and kept Michigan in the game. Still, Wolf and Goldin are getting swarmed by opposing defenses. They turned the ball over eight times compared to seven assists.
They also scored 40 points but also made over 50 percent of their attempts. But you can see how badly this team needs a reliable third scorer. It's not going to be Roddy Gayle. It has to be Tre Donaldson or Nimari Burnett.
Donaldson in particular hasn't been the same and it's become a huge issue.
The guards aren't doing enough
Tre Donaldson and Nimari Burnett each hit two 3-pointers in the loss. That was better. Michigan shot the ball better, but a reliable third scorer needs to emerge.
That should be Donaldson. This game was the only the second in double figures for him in the last six. His high during that stretch is 11. He did have six assists but also three turnovers.
At one time this season, he looked like an All-Big Ten guard. That hasn't been the case the past few weeks and the results on the floor are a direct correlation. Michigan needs Donaldson to get back to playing the way he did earlier this season or it won't have a chance of reaching its ceiling.
Turnovers are still a problem
The shooting was better. Michigan shot 35 percent from 3-point range. Donaldson and Burnett made 4-of-10. Michigan can live with shooting how they shot on Wednesday.
The bigger issue was turnovers. Michigan had 16 compared to just eight for Maryland. The Terps also had an 11-9 edge in offensive rebounds. Michigan isn't good enough offensively to overcome that.
Few teams are. Some of those were the result of Wolf and Goldin having to do too much. Donaldson also had a costly turnover in the second half. Thinking about those eight extra possessions and some of the points off turnovers, that's what decided the game.
it's been a problem all season and reared its ugly head again in the home finale.