Michigan Basketball: Early-Season Growing Pains Nothing for U-M to Worry About

Michigan lost the Legends Classic championship game Tuesday night to Villanova because it is young—well, that and because JayVaughn Pinkston upended Zak Irvin’s attempt at last-second heroics.

But that’s beside the point.

The No. 19-ranked Wolverines’ 60-55 setback to the No. 12-ranked Wildcats at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn was a lesson learned—a difficult one, but a necessary process for a young team looking to establish an identity without stars Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III.

It wasn’t pretty.

In fact, during a halftime interview with ESPN 2, Villanova coach Jay Wright expressed his disgust with the 14-turnover first half (seven by each team).

Youth led to their first loss of 2014, but the Wolverines underclassmen will likely pay dividends in the immediate future.

Fighting back from a 13-point deficit in the second half wouldn't have been possible without Zak Irvin and Ricky Doyle. Mark Donnal, D.J. Wilson and Kameron Chatman pitched in too. However, in terms of development, it's imperative for them to catch Doyle sooner, rather than later. Once that happens, coach John Beilein will have a well-rounded team ready to chase titles and banners. 

That said, it's time to examine what each freshman or sophomore has to offer. 

Ricky is a Young Boy

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Doyle is blocking shots, rebounding and scoring points.

At 6'9" and roughly 240 pounds, he has the ideal physical size to throw down in the Big Ten. He's not always as assertive as he could be though. He could have taken a firmer stance with Daniel Ochefu—a 6'11", 245-pound junior who scored 10 points and grabbed four boards—but he's adapting to differences in strength. 

It takes more than four games and a trip to Italy to do that. 

Brute high school kids, the ones Doyle faced a year ago, are lightweight pests compared to guys like as Ochefu. But on the other hand, don't expect to see Doyle get pushed around later in the season. Beilein can toughen up a kid within a few months—just look at what he did with Mitch McGary, who played a few minutes in college before becoming a first-round NBA draft pick. 

Go figure. 

But back to Doyle: Offensively, he presents options. Again, his size is the obvious advantage, but he's also skilled underneath and above the rim. He cleans up messes and goes hard to the rim, but he also has touch. 

He's Only a Sophomore

Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

He cooled off a little Tuesday night, but Zak Irvin seems to be warming up each time he takes the floor. He had a rough shooting night, making just four of 13, but he's hitting shots when Beilein needs them most.

Take into account his second-half three and dunk that helped pad his team's 19-5 run versus Villanova. 

Take into account his drives and foul shots that assisted in ousting the Ducks. 

And take into account that he's only a sophomore.

The bar has been set high. Expectations for Irvin aren't yet through the roof, but they're getting there. The 6'6", 215-pound winger can do it all ways—he can dunk, display range and score by grinding in the lane. 

Irvin probably won't want to remember being stuffed by Pinkston—but he should. Simply put, he went at a senior with a sophomore effort. 

Chalk it up as an experience. If you don't get swatted like that, you're not playing hard. That's how the game goes. 

Donnal, Wilson and Chatman

Wilson found out that halfway isn't good enough—it's all or nothing.

That's probably why Dylan Ennis, a 6'2" junior guard, welcomed the 6'9" freshman to college hoops with a hearty block. It wasn't quite as violent as Pinkston's rejection of Irvin, but it definitely conveyed the right message. 

And Wilson probably picked up the hint: It's now a man's game. 

Conversely, Donnal and Chatman have also struggled through the first five outings.

Basically, Donnal has difficulty finding himself within plays. He has looked lost and out of place while watching others scramble for position on the floor and against defenders. That may be a "speed of the game" thing, or it could mean that Donnal, like a lot of freshmen, will need more than a handful of games to show what he can do. 

So far, the 6'9", 240-pounder hasn't been able to win the one-on-ones in the paint and at the rim (and that's a necessary component of being a forward). But he'll get there. Beilein will make sure of that. 

Chatman is working to find his stroke. The 6'7", 200-pound winger can shoot from afar. He can also drive the lane and hit the mid-range jumper. 

Once he figures out how this whole college basketball thing operates, he'll be fine. There shouldn't be any worries about Chatman. 

They're learning, and that's why they take the floor and keep score. 

That said, other than suffering a loss, Tuesday was a productive night for the young Wolverines. 

"

Beilein: "It was an NCAA tournament environment. And here we are in November."

— Brendan F. Quinn (@BFQuinn) November 26, 2014"

Follow Bleacher Report’s Michigan Wolverines basketball writer Adam Biggers on Twitter @AdamBiggers81

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