Michigan loses, but looks good for next season

After Nolan Smith missed a free throw with 8.7 seconds left, leaving the door open for Michigan to potentially win the game on their final possession, Darius Morris took an outlet pass and went coast to coast.

He got free and found himself in the middle of the paint, but his eight foot floater traveled long, missing off the back of the rim, and the Wolverines were headed home with a 73-71 loss.

The loss is, of course upsetting.

But the comeback that Michigan made, from as much as 15 points down in the second half, is promising.


How promising?

If both Darius Morris and Tim Hardaway Jr. return next season (which they both should), Michigan is going to be a top ten team in the preseason. There is no doubt in my mind.

John Beilein has built a "John Beilein team" in Ann Arbor. He's got a dominant, penetrating point guard in Morris, who I said was one of the most underrated players in the country back in February. He's got a pair of freshmen in the front court that compliment each other very well. Jordan Morgan is the 6'8" horse on the block that can run the floor while Evan Smotrycz is the versatile, face-up four with three point range. Hardaway Jr. really came on down the stretch of the season, proving to be a smooth scoring wing with a dangerous perimeter jumper.

Then there are the veterans -- Matt Vogrich, Stu Douglass, and Zack Novak -- that can defend and keep the floor spread by knocking down threes.

The scariest part? Everyone returns. And with just two juniors and no seniors in their rotation, its safe to assume that the Wolverines won't just be intact again next season, they will be significantly better.

Eventally, we are going to have to start mentioning John Beilein in the same breath as Bo Ryan and Jamie Dixon. He wins games without NBA talent using what is slowly proving to be a foolproof system.

With all the talent leaving the Big Ten this offseason, don't be surprised is Michigan is the favorite to win the league come September.