IU basketball dropped its fourth straight game, falling 86-72 to Michigan on Tuesday night at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor.
Here are five takeaways from the loss to the Wolverines:
Indiana couldn’t defend Michigan without making mistakes
The Wolverines, the No. 1 team in the country according to KenPom.com, had their way offensively against Indiana.
Michigan’s versatility and size overpowered the Hoosiers, leading to a parade to the free throw line and foul trouble all evening for IU.
The Wolverines posted a free throw percentage (FTA/FGA) of 62.3 percent against the Hoosiers, their second-highest mark of the season. It was the second-highest number of free throws made by an IU opponent this season, behind Kentucky.
Luckily for Indiana, Michigan had trouble converting at the line. The Wolverines shot just 22-for-33 from the line, otherwise the final margin would have been higher.
Indiana had two players – Conor Enright and Sam Alexis – commit errors and Reed Bailey finished with four errors.
Indiana did better offensively than most Michigan opponents
If you watched Tuesday’s game and thought Indiana played poorly offensively, the numbers say the Hoosiers did better than most against the nation’s No. 2 defense.
The Hoosiers finished the game with 1,027 points per possession, the fourth-highest mark for a Michigan opponent this season.
The combination of Michigan’s size, switching and defensive versatility and Indiana’s lack of post scoring forced the Hoosiers to a 3-point attempt percentage (3PA/FGA) of 59.6, the second-highest mark for a Michigan opponent this season.
Indiana connected for distance on only 11 of 34 attempts, which is 32.4 percent.
The defensive decline continues in Big Ten play
Another game, another poor defensive performance for Indiana.
For the fourth straight game, Indiana gave up more than 1.2 points per possession.
In their four-game losing streak, the Hoosiers have allowed 1,241 points per possession against Nebraska, 1.25 against Michigan State, 1,286 against Iowa and 1,227 against Michigan.
In conference play – Indiana is 3-5 in eight games – it is giving up 1,158 points per possession, which ranks 11th in the Big Ten.
If the Hoosiers continue to defend at this level, a Big Ten finish in the bottom half will be the end result for this group.
Tucker DeVries plays well offensively in the second half
After the first five minutes the match was no longer in balance. Michigan led wire-to-wire, building a 9-0 lead at the 14:43 mark of the first half.
The poor start was made worse by Tucker DeVries committing two fouls in the first 1:20 and turning the ball over on IU’s first possession.
It was a first half to forget for DeVries, who logged 12 minutes, missed both of his shot attempts and remained scoreless.
DeVries came alive in the second half, but at that point the game was already decided.
The 6-foot-1 senior scored 15 points in 18 minutes in the second half. He shot 5-for-9 from the field, including a 4-for-7 mark on 3-pointers. It helped offset a challenging game for Lamar Wilkerson, who went 0-for-5 on 3s and scored eight points in 38 minutes.
Michigan appears to be in a midseason slump
The Wolverines, led by second-year coach Dusty May, are a legitimate national championship contender. It won’t be a surprise to see May lead his program to the Final Four in Indianapolis.
But for the fifth straight game, Michigan looked mortal for a while.
Indiana was the fifth straight opponent to score more than a point per possession against Michigan. In its first thirteen games, Michigan has only given up more than a point per possession three times.
The recent slump on defense has moved Michigan to second in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency rankings.
Michigan’s 14-point win was its largest margin of victory since a 96-66 victory against USC on Jan. 2.
(Photo credit: IU Athletics)
See more: Five takeaways, Michigan Wolverines
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