By David Boyce For AnnArbor.com

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Getting an opportunity to beat the No. 1 team in the country is always a thrill for the players.

The Michigan basketball team went into Saturday’s game against Kansas believing it could win. It didn’t turn out the way the Wolverines wanted, but they said they gained confidence in a 75-64 loss.

“They are No. 1 in the country for a reason,” sophomore Zack Novak said. “They are tough. They got pros out there. We are disappointed we couldn’t get the win, but it’s a good sign for us.

“I think we got a better feel of where we can be. We can play with anybody. We played with Kansas at Kansas, one of the toughest places to play in the country. We got no excuses. We know what we are capable of. Now we got to do it.”

The second half the Wolverines stayed even with Kansas. Senior DeShawn Sims showed he can score inside against the tall frontline of Cole Aldrich and Marcus Morris.

“I wanted to attack the rim and get some stuff done attacking the basket and that opened up a lot of things for me and the team,” Sims said.

Allen Fieldhouse atmosphere Michigan is used to playing in hostile environments. Ohio State, Michigan State and Indiana aren’t welcoming the Wolverines with a friendly smile.

On Saturday the Wolverines got a taste of what Big 12 teams face at Kansas. A crowd of 16,300 dressed in crimson and blue were loud during most of the game.

Michigan players didn’t seem to be bothered by the noise.

“It was a good atmosphere and the crowd was into it, but I don’t think it affected us at all,” junior Manny Harris said. “It’s a good atmosphere to play in.”

Although the Wolverines didn’t win, Michigan coach John Beilein was pleased, for the most part, by the way his team played.

“With the exception of the shooting, I thought we did everything we could to beat these guys in this tremendous atmosphere,” he said. “We are going to grow from this. There’s a lot to be said for what we just learned.”

Quick cover Harris said Kansas did a good job of getting the ball to the open player on double teams.

“When we doubled someone, someone else was open,” he said. “We just got to be quicker doubling him and close out. They did a good job knocking down shots and finishing.”

Kansas shot 48 percent from the field in the first half and improved to 57 percent in the second half.

The outside shooting of Sherron Collins and the inside scoring of Marcus Morris made it tough on the Wolverines. Both players were 7-for-10 from the field.

“They are a very difficult team to defend because they have both the inside and the outside threats,” Beilein said.

The streak is over Michigan entered the game with a 5-0 record against Kansas. The last time the teams met was Dec. 30, 1992 when the Wolverines beat the Jayhawks 86-74 in Honolulu.

Winning one battle Michigan won one statistical battle. The Wolverines had 14 offensive rebounds compared to 7 for Kansas.

Of course, Michigan had more opportunities because it shot a lower percentage from the field. Still, the 14 offensive rebounds showed that the Wolverines were working hard in the paint.

“That was a great effort,” Beilein said. “The real fact is, though, if you miss a lot of shots you’re going to get a lot of offensive rebounds.”