Michigan basketball team reeling and at a loss for what to do next

The Wolverines (11-12, 4-7 Big Ten) allowed 40 points in the first half - never a good harbinger against a slow, deliberate team like Wisconsin (18-5, 8-3).

Then there was Michigan itself, which seemed to do little right for the second straight game.

“Except for the Iowa game, we haven’t been able to reach our goals in games and if it’s happening every game, and it has been lately, it’s hard,” Beilein said. “I don’t know if it’s mental. I think we have to get better, improve as a team, improve individually, just have to do that.”

This has been a common refrain for Beilein. Loss after loss - and there are 12 of them now - Beilein has often mentioned this need to get better. He did it at the beginning of the season with Michigan’s defense, in the middle of the season with the Wolverines’ shooting and now, again, with seven regular season games left with just about every facet of Michigan’s team.

Beilein went down the list after Saturday’s game, from making better passes to shooting better and playing stronger defense. He also cited needing more length and strength.

Freshman guard Darius Morris said Beilein told his team at halftime they need more from their bench - yet another common thread for Michigan’s season. Against Wisconsin, Michigan’s bench combined for four points, two rebounds and a turnover.

“A lot of people still trying to find themselves or trying to fit as a team,” junior guard Manny Harris said. “For some reason we ain’t clicking how we supposed to be and we just have to find that.”

For Beilein, right now it is about what to do next.

“I don’t know what to do right now,” Beilein said. “I have to watch the tape and I’m usually better after that at putting things in perspective and try not to get too high or too low but study it.

“We have some days to work on our own game and see what we can do before we go to Minnesota.”

• Big Ten Conference standings • Big Ten Conference statistics • Big Ten Network highlights from the Wisconsin-Michigan game

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