Over the past two days, Michigan basketball coach John Beilein has mentioned the future and 2010-11 more than any other time this year.

With few games left in this season and not much left to play for other than trying to fight their way into the NIT, it makes sense that the third-year Michigan coach look to the future.

“It’s not just ’10-’11,” Beilein said. Our focus has always been about building a program.”

This, though, hasn’t gone the way Beilein envisioned. With four games left in the regular season, Michigan (13-13, 6-8 Big Ten) was thought to likely have wrapped up or be fighting for an NCAA berth entering Tuesday’s game against Illinois (7 p.m., ESPN) - not merely trying to stay .500 overall.

Lack of depth and young roster - Michigan starts three freshmen and sophomores - have hurt the Wolverines at points this year with either inconsistency.

Combined with Beilein’s semi-usual lament of Michigan’s lack of depth and height and length coming true, it has all led to Michigan’s inconsistency, something Beilein is hoping doesn’t happen again.

“Getting this program so we don’t go through this thing where we don’t have depth and we’re not playing freshmen, it’s going to take time to do it,” Beilein said.

Meanwhile, Illinois (17-10, 9-5) and other teams try to figure out which Michigan team will show up. Will it be the hot-shooting one that appeared on the road in cameo appearances against Minnesota and Iowa?

Or will it be the one that has struggled throughout most of the rest of the year?

“They live a lot by the three,” Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. “If they are shooting well from three, they are a very dangerous team.

“If they are not, that’s where you get the ups-and-downs of the season."

Michael Rothstein covers University of Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at (734) 623-2558, by e-mail at michaelrothstein@annarbor.com or follow along on Twitter @mikerothstein.