Michigan basketball is in a very bad place at the moment.
This year’s Wolverines are 7-15 overall, 2-9 in Big Ten play and 1-10 in their last 11 games. The program is nearly certain to miss the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. It went 23-5 and made the Elite Eight in 2020-21. Then it went 19-15 in 2021-22, 18-16 in 2022-23 and now this season’s disaster.
For reference, Feb. 20, 2022 was the date Juwan Howard slapped Joe Krabbenhoft and ignited a brawl after the Badgers’ win. Wisconsin’s record since that date is 40-23. Michigan’s is 30-35
The problems reached a crescendo for Howard’s program on Saturday. The Wolverines led Rutgers by 17 points at halftime and led 47-32 with 16:54 left in the second half. The Scarlet Knights then scored 37 of the next 49 points — a 37-12 run — to win 69-59.
Rutgers scored 37 of the final 49 points in its historic win at Michigan. 🤯 pic.twitter.com/09IN46nVD1
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 3, 2024
Michigan — up 17 in the second half — loses by double digits to Rutgers 😐 pic.twitter.com/BHIq6VNW3u
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 3, 2024
Howard can recruit, and he’s clearly still an important figure in Michigan basketball history. But I’m not sure how the Michigan athletic department watches this collapse from 2020-21 and doesn’t take action.
Michigan is by far the worst team in the Big Ten this season.