Michigan Basketball: Keys to Victory in the Toughest Stretch of the Season

As the Michigan Wolverines watched Draymond Green's jumper miss badly off the glass, many thought their home victory over the Michigan State Spartans would be a galvanizing moment for this team.

Fast-forward to Saturday afternoon, and the Wolverines found themselves behind 31-11 against the Arkansas Razorbacks. To their credit, they fought back in the second half. Trey Burke had a last second three-pointer to win, but the attempt teasingly rimmed out.

Even with this heartbreaking loss, the Wolverines still find themselves at 15-5 and tied for first in the Big Ten with a 5-2 conference record. They now begin a four-game, brutal stretch of Big Ten basketball with a game Tuesday night @ Purdue, then @ No. 3 Ohio State, home vs. No. 17 Indiana and finally @ No. 11 Michigan State.

These next four games will be a true barometer of this Michigan team, and the Wolverines are going to need Tim Hardaway Jr. to find his game. He has been struggling with his offensive game of late, shooting 35.8 percent from the field and 28.5 percent from three in his past five games.

Coach John Beilein's offense revolves around outside shooting, which makes it difficult for Hardaway Jr. to establish a groove while he is struggling. Look for Beilein to start getting him involved early in games with off-ball screens and pick-and-rolls to try and get him a few easy buckets. The Wolverines must find a way to get Hardaway Jr. back on track, and this process starts and ends with confidence.

A monumental key for Michigan over the next few games will be the defensive play of Jordan Morgan. The Wolverines will face the following skilled big men in the next four games; Robbie Hummel, Jared Sullinger, Cody Zeller, and Draymond Green respectively.

It will be imperative for Morgan to keep these guys in check on defense, and off of the offensive glass. Because of the lack of depth at power forward and at center (and with the uncertainty surrounding the return of Jon Horford), Morgan's role becomes even more important.

Evan Smotrycz has been quiet over the past seven games, and has lost his starting role to Stu Douglass for now. Smotrycz was playing well during the middle of the season, and the Wolverines would love for him to return to form. As a 6'9" shooter, he can pose serious match-up problems for opponents.

If Michigan can get Hardaway Jr. some offensive confidence, solid defensive play from Morgan, and a spark from Smotrycz, they can beat any of these teams on any given night.

First up, the Purdue Boilermakers at 7:00 on ESPN.

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