Michigan could host a National Invitation Tournament basketball game for the fourth time in seven years.

“You do every year,” Michigan athletic director Bill Martin said Monday about putting in a bid to host a game. “That’s standard operating procedure.”

Michigan was in NIT in 2003-04, 2005-06 and 2006-07. In 2003-04, under Tommy Amaker, Michigan won the NIT title.

Michigan, 13-13, appears to be a fringe candidate for the NIT with games remaining at home against Illinois and Minnesota and on the road against Ohio State and Michigan State before the Big Ten tournament.

Martin also said Michigan has put in for a bid to host games in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.

John Beilein figures out part of Michigan's inconsistency Michigan coach John Beilein saw his team unravel Saturday during the Penn State game and then watching the video.

Penn State shifted its defense against Michigan, Beilein said. The Wolverines - as they have struggled to do all season long - couldn’t adjust.

“What it is that now, they threw a couple of really different things to us defensively,” Beilein said. “Not as much offensively but defensively, and we did not adjust. The players had trouble adjusting to what they had to do.

“If that happens in the Big Ten tournament, all of a sudden your season is over, so we’ll learn a lot from it.”

Beilein also said his team’s inability to remain focused when shots aren’t falling is a big issue, too.

“I think we saw a little bit of a reason why we have been so inconsistent is that when things don’t go well, we do have some distractions of just not staying focused on what we need to do to win, and it’s a problem with a lot of teams, especially ones that are young and we certainly are young.”

Ben Cronin won’t be back Michigan redshirt freshman center Ben Cronin told AnnArbor.com in early February that he planned to return from his hip injury and play college basketball.

On Monday, Beilein indicated he doesn’t expect Cronin to play basketball again.

“I don’t see that happening,” Beilein said. “That’s news to me. He’s working hard in rehab right now to walk without a limp. Our main focus right now is to be healthy again and live a normal life.”

This and that Beilein said freshman forward Jordan Morgan, who is redshirting this season after multiple injuries, has been practicing for a week. … Instead of practicing in Crisler Arena, Penn State practiced at Eastern Michigan on Friday before beating the Wolverines on Saturday.

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.