Michigan Basketball losing streak hits four games

The University of Michigan Men's Basketball team has hit a streak that they don't want to talk about.   For the first time in almost four years the Wolverines have lost 4 in a row against teams that they should have beaten.   O.K. maybe not #4 Arizona but the others might be what Dick Vitale would call cupcakes on the early part of ones schedule. 

Southern Methodist University with head coach Larry Brown would come into the game with a 7-3 record.  However this was a game that the Michigan faithful would have chalked up as a win.   The Mustangs would take a 30-27 lead into halftime.  The ESPN televised game would see the Wolverines trail 39 -29 before starting to play some inspired offense lead by red-shirt freshman Mark Donnal.  The Wolverines would then go on a 16-3 run to take a 45-42 lead.

A good sized crowd at the Crisler Center would watch a game of runs by both teams.   The Wolverines largest lead would be 3 points at the 7:50 mark in the second half.   Then the wheels fell of the bus for Michigan.  SMU would then go on a 17-0 run to retake the lead 59-45 with about 90 seconds left in the game.  The teams would score little in the last 1 1/2 minutes for the final score of SMU 62 Michigan 51 to drop Michigan to 6-5 in the non-conference season.  

I had the pleasure of sitting next to and talking with a former Michigan assistant basketball coach and former Head Coach of the University of Detroit Men's basketball coach Don Sicko.  He now does some scouting for a couple of different scouting services for College players.   It was interesting to hear his take on Division I basketball and some of the things that we both had a bit in common with the people that we knew over the years.   I could tell that this successful basketball coach both at the High School and Collegiate levels was a class person.  

Now Michigan still has one more tough game before opening the Big Ten schedule.  Coppin State comes to Crisler Arena on Monday night before the Wolverines host Illinois on Tuesday December 30th.   It looks like the Wolverines are going to be in for a long Big Ten season without a true big man in the middle.   They have the fire power from the shooting guards but lack a true center.