Michigan thought it had the game wrapped up. The Wolverines had jumped out to a huge 17-point lead on Northwestern in the first half on Jan. 10 and appeared to be able to coast.

So they relaxed. As Michigan did, Northwestern started coming back and coming back and Michigan couldn’t adjust.

Sloppy offense led to bad defense. Bad defense led to open shots and the Wildcats turned into a dominant force in a little less than a half. One big run later and Northwestern seized control and pulled away with a 40-point second half on the way to a 68-62 win.

Since then, things have changed. Michigan’s defense, which had been porous for the first half of the season and was sieve-like against the Wildcats over the final 30 minutes on Jan. 10, has tightened up.

In the past six games, Michigan has allowed 60 points merely twice, held teams to 40 percent from the field and 16.2 percent from 3-point range.

So the Wolverines (11-10 overall, 4-5 Big Ten) have made progress -- but none of the teams Michigan faced have been as deliberate or had the ability to backdoor cut and put you in bad positions like Northwestern (14-7, 3-6). The teams meet again at 7 p.m. Tuesday (Big Ten Network) at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill.

“This is just a different animal when you play them. We’ve gotten much better at guarding some of the things Iowa does, some of the things Wisconsin does,” Michigan coach John Beilein said. “Guarding this, you have to change a lot of your principles in this sort of thing. I do think we’re talking a little bit better but it’s, this is so quick, it’s, they are just really good at it. Really good.”

Communication has been a big key for Michigan. The Wolverines have focused more on being a good man-to-man team than mixing up defenses. The 1-3-1 zone Beilein is known for has been used less. If anything, zone-wise, they’ve gone more to a 2-3 zone.

But it’s led to better results.

“Earlier in the season, if we had that type of camaraderie on the court as far as talking on defense, the outcome of the games would have been a lot better,” senior forward DeShawn Sims said. “…We definitely stepped up our defense.

“We get criticized for being a bad defensive team the last couple years but I guess we’re buying into it and talking to each other.”

It has been something Beilein has been searching for the majority of the season. The increased chatter also could signify more leadership, another persistent issue with Michigan this year.

All of this has led to increased confidence - or so Michigan says. Despite the fact that Michigan has won two games in a row this season twice (a three-game streak to open the year and then beating Indiana and Connecticut last month), the Wolverines still believe a run is in them mainly due to their defense.

The two games this week against potential NCAA tournament teams in Wisconsin and Northwestern allows that possibility.

“We have to continue to get swagger and confidence back,” Beilein said. “We have come close too many times now where we walk into a gym and say ‘OK, we’re going to go get this one now.’ We have to get that and I think a road win coupled with a win over Wisconsin does a lot of that for us.”

Getting it, though, is the harder part.

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.