Michigan basketball could still be playing. You got the sense that Dusty May felt that way after the Wolverines' loss to Auburn on Friday night.
It's hard to argue otherwise when Michigan basketball led by nine points with 12 minutes to go. Auburn turned it on after that. The Wolverines also fell apart. The turnovers and allowing numerous offensive rebounds proved to be too much to overcome.
So was the Tigers' shotmaking. They have some of the best shooters in the country, whether it's from 3-point range or off the dribble and the Tigers repeatedly made tough shots down the stretch.
Michigan could barely get a shot off at times. Danny Wolf didn't score for the last 13 minutes. The Wolverines only made four 3-pointers, and Vlad Goldin was limited to single digits.
However, despite the result, it was a great season. Michigan basketball will hang for a banner after winning the Big Ten tournament championship. The Wolverines also advanced to the Sweet 16 for the eighth time in the past 12 years.
That's not nothing. It could have been more, but that's life and here are three things we learned from Michigan basketball's 78-65 loss to Auburn.
Michigan never solved its turnover issue
Give Auburn credit, their length, quickness, and size bothered Michigan. Yet, when the Wolverines watch the film, they will see a lot of self-inflicted wounds.
It felt like almost all of the turnovers were self-inflicted. Danny Wolf got called for holding the ball for five seconds in the second half. He also dribbled a ball off his foot. Will Tschetter dropped a pass and he wasn't the only one.
Michigan also threw the ball away four or five times, twice leading to open layups for Auburn. It's hard enough to win college basketball games when you don't do those things. But it's nearly impossible to do in the Sweet 16.
Auburn did a great job of forcing Michigan to make one-on-one plays. The Wolverines weren't able to do it. They finished with just six assists. Danny Wolf scored 20 points. No one else had more than 10.
Tip your cap to Auburn. They were the better team. They dominated on the offensive glass, and their defense stifled Michigan when the game was on the line. But all of the unforced errors made it feel like Michigan didn't give itself a chance.
That's what's disappointing. You want to at least go out playing your best basketball and Michigan didn't do that. It didn't even come close.
This is still a special team
The fact that Michigan played as poorly as it did and led the No. 1 overall seed by nine points just speaks to the toughness and resiliency of this group.
It wasn't always pretty. It certainly wasn't always perfect -- just look at the three-game losing streak to end the season -- but this group still overachieved.
I was just hoping this team would make the NCAA tourmament and make Michigan basketball fun again. Well, the 2024-25 team did that, and much more.
Even last night, you had to be impressed with dudes like Will Tschetter, Nimari Burnett, and Rubin Jones. Roddy Gayle had some moments too. The role players weren't that bad. The stars didn't really show up, but it was fun to see the fight all the same.
There is nothing for this team to be ashamed of. They made Michigan basketball fans proud. They literally made it fun again after the worst season imaginable.
The Wolverines also pushed the No. 1 overall seed to the brink without their "A" game. That tells just how far this team came from start to finish.
Dusty May is the right man for the job
Frankly, Dusty May didn't get out-coached. The defense held Johni Broome to below 50 percent shooting. The gameplan was on point, the Wolverines just couldn't get offensive rebounds, or finish at the rim offensively.
That was the entire game. Michigan had to dominate the 2-point battle and or it had to get hot from 3-point range and neither of those things happened. Vlad and Danny Wolf needed to combine for 40 points. They scored 30.
The fact that Michigan got as close as it did, after Dusty had two weeks to build a team is impressive. The run in the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA tournament reinforced what May did at FAU.
He knows how to recruit and build a team. May knows how to build a culture, win championships, and win the most important games.
The next few weeks will be important for Michigan basketball, like everyone else. But the future is bright and don't be surprised if the Wolverines are back in the same position next season.