Michigan basketball is coming off of a blowout loss to Illinois in which the Wolverines really didn't look like they belonged on the court. Michigan gave up 19 offensive rebounds on 39 missed shots, or slightly less than half of the time. That's completely unacceptable, especially for a team that plays with two 7-footers.
The Wolverines yet again struggled from behind the 3-point line, shooting 4-18, or 22.2%, beyond the arc. Michigan basketball could do nothing right, and their performance follows a trend of poor performances over the past 10+ games. Michigan has not won a game by more than four points in nearly two months. Approaching March Madness, this is a very concerning trend.
After looking like a true Final Four contender through the first third of the season, it's starting to look like those performances, where the Wolverines played dominant on offense and defense, were the exception, not these recent performances where Michigan has struggled on both ends.
Yes, Michigan has won eight of its last ten games. But the Wolverines could've very easily lost each of the games they won. They just haven't been able to put together a complete, start-to-finish game.
Should Michigan basketball fans be concerned?
Yes. Definitely. On a scale of 1-10, an appropriate concern level for now would be an 8 or so. Michigan hasn't been able to find its early season success, and there's no reason to believe they will with two very difficult games coming up against Maryland and Michigan State. It seems almost certain that Michigan will be eliminated in the first or second round of March Madness if they keep playing this way.
However, there is still time to turn it around. While there's no reason to believe Michigan basketball will suddenly begin to play how they did at the start of the season, we can't rule it out. It's also important to remember that this team has been playing a lot of basketball and hasn't had a chance to rest. They've also been dealing with illnesses across the board.
So it's possible that Michigan could pick up their play, but given what we've seen, I'd be very concerned about the prospect of a disappointing end to what has been a fantastic turnaround by Dusty May. Michigan will have a chance to alleviate concerns on Wednesday against #16 Maryland. A win there would go a long ways to restoring confidence.