Michigan Basketball: 5 Things We Have Learned About the Wolverines Thus Far

The Big Ten has been extremely competitive this year, and the Michigan Wolverines (No. 13 ESPN) have found themselves right in the middle of it.

The Wolverines played the Indiana Hoosiers as tough as any team has at Assembly Hall, which has proven to be one of the most hostile territories in college basketball.

Unfortunately, they came up a bit short, falling 73-71.

Despite their loss against the Hoosiers, the Wolverines still find themselves sitting at 12-3 and 2-1 in the Big Ten.

With 16 games remaining in the 2012 regular season, here are five things we have learned about the Wolverines. 

1. Trey Burke Is the Real Deal

If there were any doubters about Darius Morris's replacement, they are long gone. Trey Burke has been nothing short of sensational for the Michigan Wolverines, and he has emerged as one of the best freshman in the country.

During the Wolverines' seven game winning streak, Burke averaged an impressive 17 points, 5.8 assists, 3.3 rebounds per game.

Burke was recently named as a top 20 finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, which is given out to the top point guard in the country. His skill-set, combined with his intangibles (court presence, poise, command, etc.), have allowed him to be considered for this honor at such a young age.   

As long as Burke keeps up his impressive play, the Wolverines will continue to contend.   

2. Taking Care of Business

A typical mistake by teams is to play down to their competition; however, the Wolverines have won every game that they were supposed to win. Their three losses have come against tough teams in tough environments.

The loss to Duke in Maui was essentially an away game, considering how many Duke fans were in attendance. Michigan played them tough, but ultimately fell 82-75. 

Michigan then had to travel cross-country to play a stingy Virginia team (No. 23, 13-1), who is second-best in the country in overall scoring defense. The Wolverines looked tired and could not buy a basket in the second half. They ended up losing 70-58.

The Wolverines' most recent loss came against one of the best teams in the country in one of the most difficult places to play. 

Each of these away games were tough and will not be held against the Wolverines come March. They have beaten the teams that they were expected to beat, with signature wins coming against Memphis (ranked No. 8 at the time) and UCLA.

There is no doubt that Coach Beilein has his team playing with confidence. 

3. Evan Smotrycz Has Evolved

Evan Smotrycz has improved his game significantly this season, especially on the boards. He is averaging 11 points and is leading the Wolverines with over seven rebounds per game.

During Michigan's seven-game winning streak, Smotrycz has averaged over 13 points, nine rebounds, and over a steal and a half per game (including three straight double-doubles). 

He had two major flaws in his freshman season, but it seems like he has gotten rid of one of them.

His shot selection has been much improved in '11-'12, which should be credited to the tutelage of Coach John Beilein. He has increased his field goal percentage from 40 percent in '10-'11 to 55 percent in '11-'12. His three-point percentage has also increased from 38 percent to 54 percent. 

Smotrycz still has major foul trouble issues. If he can somehow tame his aggressiveness, he can become an even more efficient player on both ends. 

4. The Wolverines Have a Versatile Offense

When you think of a typical John Beilein offense, you automatically think three-point shooting. The Wolverines still rely on the three ball, but not nearly as much as they have in the past few seasons.

Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. have been driving to the basket effectively this season. Evan Smotrycz has worked hard on his post-up game on the block. This versatility does not allow teams to cheat on defense; in other words, they cannot strictly play against the three-pointer.

Michigan has been an extremely efficient team on offense thus far, shooting over 48 percent from the field. If the Wolverines can keep up this pace, they will continue to be a dangerous team.  

5. The Wolverines Can Play in Big Games

Michigan fans can take a lot of positives away from a tough loss against the Hoosiers. The Wolverines went into Assembly Hall (where Indiana is undefeated), played a mediocre game, and still had a shot to win.

The referees made a few questionable calls throughout the game that tended to favor the Hoosiers. In addition, the Wolverines forced up some bad shots at inopportune times. But this game should reaffirm the fact that Michigan can play with anyone in the Big Ten.

Look for the Wolverines to come out of this game with confidence, and to bounce back strong against Wisconsin (No. 19) on Sunday.