The first half was every bit as rough as Michigan’s recent performances but they managed to right the ship just enough to cruise to victory over a lackluster Arkansas Pine Bluff squad.

Michigan certainly didn’t play well but Pine Bluff was bad enough that it didn’t matter. Luckily Michigan’s big two, Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims, showed up. The first half was DeShawn Sims’ show as he scored 15 of Michigan’s 32 points. In the second half, Manny Harris went to work and put the game away thanks to three second half three point field goals.

Looking at the four factors, it’s clear that the difference in the game was Pine Bluff’s complete inability to hold onto the ball. The defense was pretty good, and much better in the second half, allowing only .7 points per possession. Both teams cleaned up on the defensive glass and there weren’t many offensive rebounds for either team.

Michigan’s offense just isn’t working right now. The three point shots aren’t falling but I don’t think the answer is to stop shooting them altogether. 43% of Michigan’s field goal attempts were from long range, that is a lot but that is the way this team is going to play. There are two guys that are threats from inside the arc and they both got plenty of touches this game (maybe not Harris in the first half). This team is going to be lackluster when three point shots aren’t falling, that should have been clear last year. This team is what it is and while it’s not pretty right now, they certainly have the ability to play much better.

The Utah game looms large on Wednesday night. The Utes aren’t a great team, they have lost to Idaho, Seattle, Oklahoma State, and Weber St but it is a true road game none the less.

Player Bullets:

• Manny Harris: Manny was almost invisible in the first half, he didn’t get a rebound and scored only 2 points on two free throws. The second half was a different story as he finished with 18 points and 6 rebounds.
• DeShawn Sims: This was one of DeShawn’s best games of the year, he notched a double double with 19 points and 10 boards and was far more assertive than he has been for most of the year.
• Stu Douglass: Confidence is a fragile thing and right now the shots aren’t falling for Stu. 1 of 7 from three point range is just brutal. He’s been through slumps before and he’ll just have to work through this one. The good news is that he had 4 assists and no turnover.
• Zack Novak: 7 points, 3 rebounds, 3 steals, an assist and a block is a pretty typical Novak stat line, however the 0-4 from three point range stands out.
• Darius Morris: You can clearly see all of the reasons that he is going to be a very good player but at this point he’s still developing, which is understandable for a point guard in his 7th collegiate game. This was a good chance for Darius to get a lot of minutes and continue to get his feet wet.
• Laval Lucas-Perry: LLP hit two big threes early and came out fired up but two quick fouls put him on the bench. He promptly picked up his third foul about 30 seconds into the second half.
• Zack Gibson: 12 minutes, 6 points (3-5), 1 rebound and a block. Gibson continues to play well in limited playing time, giving Michigan a boost when Peedi goes to the bench.
• Anthony Wright: Missed shots from all over the floor. Three pointers, layups, and mid-range jump shots. Not his best game but I think he deserves a free pass.
• Matt Vogrich: The shot wasn’t falling today and Vogrich still isn’t ready defensively, especially in man-to-man which explains his limited playing time today.

Well that’s certainly not how to snap a losing streak. Michigan picked up right where they left off with another terrible performance.

Michigan knew the importance of this game but they played without any mental toughness. They blew routine layups, fell asleep on inbounds plays, couldn’t hit a shot, and lacked defensive intensity. The whole nine yards.

Right before players were introduced John Mahoney motioned to CJ Lee, who was sitting directly behind the Maize Rage, to come down on the court and put on a jersey. He was obviously kidding, but there is no doubt that it would have helped. It’s beginning to sound redundant but the void in leadership is painfully obvious. It’s time for someone to take ownership and get this team on the same page.

On offense, it just isn’t working. Boston College packed the lane and dared Michigan to beat them from the outside. It obviously worked. Michigan shot 38.7% on two point field goals and 26.5% from long range (39.2% eFG). They simply couldn’t buy a basket. The shooting has to get better but what I’m most worried about is the flow of the offense. At this point it seems like there is far too much thinking going on before the correct reads are made.

The defense was brutal as well. Yes, it got better as the game went on but Boston College had already established their dominance. Boston College ran the flex offense to perfection against Michigan, mostly thanks to Corey Raji who scored 24 points on 11 of 16 shooting. According to the numbers at SCACC Hoops, through the first 30 minutes of play Michigan was giving up an astounding 1.30 points per possession.

As someone that has tried to be a consistent voice of reason, it’s hard not to panic at this point. Michigan laid an egg, at home, in a game they had to have. The season is still young but this team is playing terrible basketball, there is no other way to put it. At this point, every game seems to raise more questions about this team.

How do you fix it? This team’s confidence is rattled and who knows what will get it back. This stretch is eerily similar to Michigan’s swoon in late January when the offense seemed to disappear and Michigan lost 5 of 6 games. In the middle of that stretch, I wrote a piece proclaiming that Michigan needed to “Just Play Ball” rather than be crushed under the weight of expectations. At this point, there’s not much more that Michigan can do.

Player Bullets:

• Manny Harris: It’s hard to call 19 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 turnover, and 2 steals a bad game but it’s reality. There are enormous expectations on Manny’s shoulders but I don’t think he would want it any way else.
• DeShawn Sims: Ugh. Michigan needs a lot more from Peedi. I don’t know whether it’s effort, focus, or hustle but Sims needs to produce. He has all the talent in the world but he needs this is his senior year, he needs to bring more to the table.
• Zack Novak: Love Zack’s hustle but after the first few minutes his shot disappeared. He was banging against a 6’9 Joe Trapani all night which might have something to do with it. Zack Novak is going to play a lot but that means he needs to hit shots, especially if he is going to take 11 field goal attempts.
• Zack Gibson: Gibson is playing very well: 9 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks in 16 minutes. He needs minutes, I’m not sure where they come but he needs to get them. This game emphasized why Beilein is hesitant to play Sims with Gibson, as both big men got in foul trouble in the first half.
• Darius Morris: Not ready for primetime. Darius isn’t ready and that was clear by his minutes which almost disappeared during the game.
• Stu Douglass: Stu is typically a gunner but by the end of the game he had lost his confidence as well. Him passing up a three point shot (yes, it was deep) with around 1:30 left and Michigan trailing by 6 says about all you need to know about how he feels about his shot.
• Laval Lucas-Perry: Not LLP’s best day to say the least. His missed layup looked like perfect material for the Not Top 10, he had some terrible free throw misses, and couldn’t buy a three pointer.
• Matt Vogrich: Vogrich is going to be a good player but right now his head is still swimming. It was good to let him get some playing time but I think Beilein is limited with what he can do with Vogrich on the court. Needs to stay confident in his three point shot because the drive isn’t happening against bigger and more athletic teams.
• Anthony Wright: I am rarely positive about Anthony Wright’s game but I really liked what he gave the team. He hit a three but I also thought he came in the game with more defensive intensity than anyone else on the floor during the first half.