Michigan Basketball: How Wolverines Can Turn the Season Around

After three losses in a row, it's clearly time for panic in Michigan.

The Wolverines aren't quite as bad as the 6-4 record seems to indicate, especially with the miserable losses to N.J.I.T. and Eastern Michigan. However, this is not a situation where you can just sit back and wait for things to turn around.

"It's a great reality check for everyone, knowing that we have a lot of work to do," head coach John Beilein said after the 80-53 loss to Arizona, per the Detroit Free Press' Mark Snyder. "We've been here before. Our great teams have been exactly in this spot before. This is part of the process. You've got to embrace it."

If this team doesn't work hard to reach its potential, the basketball season will go down in flames just as fast as the football season did.

The good news is there is talent on the roster, but in order to get the team back on track, it will need to take advantage of the team's strengths in a way that can cover up the weaknesses.

Like any sports team, there are negatives about Michigan that cannot be changed no matter how hard the players work. For one, the lack of size in the frontcourt is a major problem that will only be highlighted more in conference play.

While Mark Donnal and Ricky Doyle are improving quickly, they are not going to get any taller as the year continues. Against quality frontcourts like those of Wisconsin and Michigan State, this could lead to bad mismatches.

On the other hand, there are bigger problems on both ends of the court that can be fixed. One of the most notable problems comes on the defensive end with the poor effort guarding the perimeter.

Between Caris LeVert, Zak Irvin, Kameron Chatman and others, there is enough length and athleticism to be an elite defense. However, ESPN's Jeff Goodman noted how well a usually pedestrian offense fared against Michigan:

Through 10 games, the Wolverines are allowing opponents to shoot 37.7 percent from three-point range, which ranks just 293rd in the nation, according to TeamRankings.com, N.J.I.T. hit 11 of its 17 attempts from behind the arc.

Meanwhile, opponents don't even have to shoot three-point shots because they are able to penetrate into the lane with ease and make things happen from there.

When you see firsthand what someone like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson can do defensively, it's almost embarrassing to watch the perimeter defense on Michigan. This can be turned around with more effort and focus on each possession, but it will take a bigger commitment from every player on the court.

If the guards can't improve defensively, it won't matter if Anthony Davis is patrolling the paint because defenses will still find a way to score.

USA TODAY Sports

The problems are pretty much the opposite on the other end of the court as the players spend too much time outside the arc.

This is a quality outside shooting team, but few teams succeed by only taking long shots. Michigan gets 37.7 percent of its points from three-pointers, compared to 44.9 percent from two-point shots and 17.4 percent from free throws, according to KenPom.com (subscription required). The latter two numbers rank among the worst in the country, while the squad is 319th (out of 351) in free throws per shot attempt.

What this means is instead of driving and getting easier attempts, the Wolverines are settling on a strategy of chucking the ball up and hoping for the best.

Considering they shoot an impressive 75.8 percent from the charity stripe, it behooves them to try to draw more fouls. Even when they aren't getting contact, LeVert and Irvin are certainly capable of penetrating into the lane and finishing with easy layups at the rim.

The Wolverines have shot 11-of-47 from deep over the past two games and have totaled just 95 points. It might be time to change up the strategy.

Another problem on the offensive end is the lack of balance with LeVert and Irvin taking 46.4 percent of the team's shots for the season. These two are the stars of the team and the ones who need to step up when a play needs to be made, but there still needs to be more help over the course of the game.

Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com believes Derrick Walton Jr. is the one who needs to step up:

The guard has been dealing with injuries, but he certainly has to do a better job of creating opportunities for himself and others. 

Additionally, fans are waiting for highly touted freshman Kam Chatman to show what he can do on more consistent basis. After totaling 10 points and nine rebounds in a win over Syracuse, he only has 11 points and 10 rebounds over the last three games combined.

The 18-year-old player has appeared to be in over his head over the past two weeks. However, the team needs him to reach his potential in a hurry or else the squad can be in trouble.

Over the past few years, Michigan has had one of the best offenses in the nation to go with a solid-but-unspectacular defense. This season, the offense is inefficient and unable to mask a below-average defense.

Both of these can be changed with a better mindset, more effort and an overall commitment to individual improvement.

Beilein has turned teams around in the past, but it will be up to the players to work toward improvement and get back into the discussion for Big Ten and NCAA tournament contention.

Want to talk about anything college basketball? Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter.