Michigan Basketball: Is It Time to Panic After Blowout Loss vs. Arizona?

There are a couple of ways to view Michigan’s “I give” during Saturday’s 80-53 loss to Arizona: 1. It’s the prelude of much worse things to come for coach John Beilein’s Wolverines—who have now lost three in a row for the first time since January 2011—or 2. Things can’t get any worse, so it’s probably best to just relax and see what unfolds.

Neither side of the fence is wrong. Some like the half-full perspective while some prefer the half-empty point of view.

Truth be told, the Wolverines are sliding into dangerous territory, but they’re not yet falling apart—“yet” being the keyword.

Losing on the road to the No. 3-ranked team in the land is one thing, but getting the doors blown off after dropping home stands to the New Jersey of Institute of Technology and Eastern Michigan is flat-out embarrassing for a program that’s been to the Elite Eight and Final Four in consecutive seasons.

Michigan peaked Dec. 2 against Syracuse. One could argue that it reached its height just days prior during a 60-55 loss to then No. 12-ranked Villanova. Either way, the team showed fight in both of those games.

Sadly, it hasn’t been remotely close since.

Finding a Comfort Zone

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For the past eight years, Beilein has cultivated jump-shooting teams that rebound enough to win. This season, offensive rebounding—a weakness for the Wolverines—needs to be stressed.  

Michigan won’t stop shooting. Conversely, shots aren’t falling.

Michigan—which is No. 278 of 351 in offensive rebounding—needs a remedy, and that’s second-chance scoring.

And that starts with Ricky Doyle and Mark Donnal, who continue to baffle spectators. One moment they’re hot, the next they’re not. Donnal needs more work, but Doyle appears at least close to breaking some ground.

The 6’9”, 245-pound power forward scored eight points against the Wildcats, the most since dropping 12 on Dec. 2 versus the Orange. Granted, a little scoring mixed with three boards isn’t anything to write home about, but it’s a way for Doyle to get back on track. He combined for just six points and four rebounds during the prior two losses.

Saturday was something.

Doyle’s dual-threat skill set makes him all the more important to the big picture. He’s not a contortionist, but he can twist and turn for rebounds. He averages just three per game but is built to grab at least six or seven per night. That goes back to his lack of edge. Once that comes forth, he’ll be the inside-outside threat Beilein needs.

Everyone is looking for answers—fans, coaches, players and the rest. This is December basketball being played by a young team. Beilein did it a favor by assembling a tough schedule. The bouts with Villanova, Syracuse, Oregon and Arizona will serve as learning tools.

They’re Not Excuses…

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During this past Thursday’s availability, Spike Albrecht revealed that he had been suffering from a lower-body injury for the past year. Of course, that’s not great news for the Wolverines—who need Albrecht—but it does shed some light on the scenario.

Albrecht hasn’t really been himself this year. If he says that he’s injured, he’s injured. But for better or worse, he’s playing. With Albrecht, energy is never a question. He was hustling for loose balls while trailing Arizona by 30—he’s always going.

During the past five games, Albrecht’s turned the ball over four times—all against Eastern Michigan. During that same span, he’s scored 41 points and dished 22 assists. Again, not rock-the-world numbers here, but they’re not bad stats from a guy who’s clearly not fully healthy.

And that’s a problem when that guy was supposed to be a top contributor.

Kam Chatman, Kam Chatman, Kam Chatman—oh how the freshman bug has bitten thee. For some reason, the 6’7”, 200-pound wing/forward has mightily struggled through the first 10 games of his career. He’s really not as bad as his recent shooting suggests, just 10 makes in 35 attempts from the floor.

He's not as bad as his recent defensive mistakes suggest, either. 

Chatman entered the mix set to take on big minutes. But he’s learned the hard way. Albrecht wasn’t exactly a hardened vet entering the season, either. Sure, he’s had his moments such as scoring 17 versus Syracuse in the 2013 Final Four but this season is his first as a true leading man.

Wait for Caris and Zak

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In 2013, Michigan started 6-4—and then it ran to the Elite Eight with a “down” team. This year’s ensemble doesn’t have a Nik Stauskas or Glenn Robinson III; it has to develop those types of leaders. Beilein kept on Stauskas and Robinson III until they turned a corner; the Wolverines found their stride, landed in the Big Ten tournament final and had a good run through March.

Beilein has to jumpstart Caris Levert and Zak Irvin.

LeVert let loose for a career-high 32 points versus NJIT and scored more than 20 thrice this season. He topped the 20-point mark seven times in 2013, so it’s easy to forecast somewhere in the range of at least 10 games of 20 or more this year for the 6’7”, 200-pound junior.

Irvin has scoring prowess too. He put up 14 versus Arizona and scored 18 versus Syracuse. The 6’6”, 215-pound sophomore just hasn’t found the touch in 2014, that’s the only way to explain his 42 percent shooting average. If he continues to stumble, the Wolverines will be in trouble. He’s made just five of the past 21 attempts from three-point range. 

Long story short, it's easy to forecast doom and gloom as the Wolverines continue to learn the hard way. However, dismissing a team with LeVert and Irvin would be a mistake, regardless of circumstances.

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

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes and references were obtained firsthand by the writer