Michigan

Michigan basketball isn’t invincible, and its first loss shows why

Published

2 months ago

January 10, 2026

Michigan basketball isn’t invincible, and its first loss shows why

Michigan basketball’s first loss of the 2025-26 season – a 91-88 thriller on Saturday, Jan. 10 – was likely a surprise to most.

But U-M players and and coaches saw the seeds planted for the result over the past two weeks, with four consecutive games without the Wolverines feeling like they’d played up to their standard.

“The right team won,” Dusty May said after his team’s first loss.

Michigan led by 14 with 7:38 left in the first half, but let Wisconsin back into the game with a 20-7 run going into halftime. The run included three 3-pointers, part of the Badgers’ season-high 15 3s.

“Give Wisconsin credit,” May continued. “They came in here, took a punch early, they responded and went in at halftime with positive momentum. They came out in the second half and knocked us on our heels a little bit.

“They made plays; our plan, our coaching, our playing wasn’t up to our standard.”

It was similar to U-M’s game earlier in the week, when the Wolverines allowed Penn State to go on a 12-0 second-half run before escaping with a 74-72 victory in Happy Valley.

At Crisler Center, however, the bill came due for the Wolverines not going hard in practice – where U-M had done the work behind its 14-0 start to the season.

“To be honest, the only thing I’m disappointed in is when we started playing, competing at a high level, it looked different,” May said. “We can’t be a team, with what we’re playing for, that has two different levels of intensity.

“That’s what happened … but I don’t want to take anything away from Wisconsin. They came in here, they took it.”

‘They exposed some things’

One of Michigan’s few flaws is in dealing with stretch bigs. That’s especially apparent now after freshman Aleksas Bieliauskas drilled five 3-pointers, including four in less than three minutes of the second half.

Aday Mara is a fantastic rim protector, but he’s not built to move out to the arc; when bigs who can shoot are able to pull him away from the basket, it’s a problem.

“We changed our coverages, changed our personnel, we didn’t do a good enough job,” May said. “We worked three days on that. … We knew it was coming, you know it’s coming … When they make the first couple, there’s such an overreaction.

“They exposed some things with our plan and our team that we thought were going to be issues this year,”

The Wolverines began sticking the Badgers harder on the perimeter, fighting over screens instead of going under them. The change slowed Wisconsin’s 3-point shooting – the Badgers closed the game at just 3-for-10 beyond the arc after making 12 of their first 23 – but it also allowed more dribble-drive penetration, mostly by Nick Boyd.

He scored 22 against U-M and May, his coach at Florida Atlantic. That was second only to Wisconsin’s John Blackwell, who had 26 points – the third double-digit scoring game in four tries by the Birmingham Brother Rice alumnus against the school that passed on him.

“They did a good job of exploiting the mismatches and finding a way to get open,” said Nimari Burnett, who scored 10. “Something we’ll look at in film –we can take this lesson and apply it to other games.”

‘Processes have to improve’

Michigan solid on offense, at least, topping 80 points for the 13th time in 15 games.

Elliot Cadeau – who sat much of the first half in foul trouble – frequently thrived in one-on-one situations en route to 19 points, his second-best total this season. Morez Johnson Jr. missed just one shot and finished with 18 points.

But for the fourth game in a row, U-M shot under 33% on 3s, going 8-for-25 (32%) against Wisconsin.

“We’ve got to find some solutions to get better shots,” May said.

Shooting comes and goes, as May and Co. have tried to point out. Effort should not, though.

But on Saturday, Wisconsin got more second-chance points (15-8) and was virtually even in rebounding – U-M finished with a 32-30 edge, but Wisconsin prevailed, 15-11, in the second half.

Michigan won its first 14 games of the season in large part because of superior talent. While that’s a prerequisite for a deep March run, the grind behind the scenes is every bit as important.

Of Michigan’s three days of prep from Tuesday-Saturday, Cadeau and May said, only one was acceptable.

“Our processes have to improve, our practice habits, our day-to-day habits have to be at a championship level,” May said. “Or we’re simply going to rely on the other team not playing up to their standard, or our talent. That’s not a real healthy way to get through the Big Ten season.”

The Penn State win offered solace that when the going got tough, the Wolverines would find a way. Faltering against Wisconsin wiped away that illusion.

Michigan’s goals – a Big Ten title, a March Madness run – are all still attainable. But only if U-M feels this sting and plays with the same desire opponents are now bringing against the Wolverines, night in and night out.

Even in practice.

“It’s like a smack in our face,” Burnett said. “No team is going to go undefeated – obviously, we hoped to do it – but like I said, just need to learn from it.”

Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

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Michigan

Showers, thunderstorms expected to hit SE Michigan Thursday — What to know

Published

8 hours ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

Showers, thunderstorms expected to hit SE Michigan Thursday — What to know

4Warn Weather Alert issued for Thursday afternoon, evening

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to develop Thursday afternoon and evening in Metro Detroit.

A 4Warn Weather Alert was issued for the afternoon and evening of March 26 due to the threat of severe storms across Southeast Michigan.

Latest forecast –> A warmer Wednesday across Metro Detroit before severe weather threat arrives Thursday

Here’s what to expect:

Timeframe

3 p.m. to 9 p.m. is the wide window, but latest model data is trending to pull the more widespread severe threat through between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Where storms will hit

There is still uncertainty as to how far north the instability will reach. From I-696/I-96 south, there is a slight (level 2 out of 5) risk for severe weather. A marginal (level 1) risk is from I-696 to around I-69.

Damaging winds, tornado probabilities

All threats are on the table, but hail and tornadoes will be the most significant.

Hail: Conditions will be favorable for large hail (up to 2 inch/tennis ball-sized) even in the marginal risk area.
Wind: Damaging wind potential will be little greater closer to the Ohio state line. However, most of the area will be at risk for isolated damaging wind gusts greater than 60 mph.
Tornadoes: Tornado probabilities are a little higher in our southern communities, but isolated strong (EF-2+) tornadoes are not out of the question across much of Southeast Michigan.
Flooding: Heavy downpours are possible, but flash flood risk remains low.

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Experts reveal where Michigan’s gas comes from and why pump prices continue to rise

Published

20 hours ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Experts reveal where Michigan’s gas comes from and why pump prices continue to rise

LANSING, Mich. — No matter where Michiganders go, they’re paying more to fill up, but experts say there’s a lot that goes into those rising prices.

According to AAA, Michigan’s gas price average hit $4.01 on Tuesday, which is about $1.10 higher than a month ago.

The prices echo what’s being paid for crude oil, which sits just below $100 a barrel.

That’s being driven by the war in Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit point for the world’s oil.

But what Michigan drivers are putting in their car isn’t impacted by that, at least not when it comes to transportation of the oil used in domestic gasoline.

“You have some oil coming from Canada, you have oil coming from literally out in the middle of the Gulf of America, as we call it today, coming up from Texas, it comes on pipelines from out west, from the Dakotas.,” Michigan Petroleum Association President Mark Griffin said.

The U.S. is a net exporter of oil, meaning it produces more than it uses, but even with a large domestic supply, high prices are the result of basic economics.

“It’s much like if you were to buy a share of stock from a company today at a hundred bucks and we find out tomorrow that they’re the only source for this widget that we all have to have and their stock rises up to $200,” Griffin said. “The company did nothing unique on that day, but their stock went up and now it’s worth more. That same thing happens to us with crude oil.”

Griffin, who also represents convenience store owners, says there’s not much gas stations can do.

“The typical gas station, about 70% of their gross sales is motor fuel, but it’s only 30% of their profit,” he said. “Retailers have to adjust their prices first to be able to pay for replacement costs. If you’re buying 10,000 gallons at a time and the price goes up 50, 70 cents a gallon, like we’ve seen, you have to raise your prices now to be able to afford that next load or you’ll go out of business.”

Other pressures facing fuel include the annual switch to the summer blend of gas that can temporarily lower supply and boost prices.

Michigan’s gas tax structure also changed this year, leading to a price increase, according to Griffin.

To stay competitive, Griffin says many gas stations do try to sell below cost, hoping to ease the burden and bring customers in.

“Our in-store sales go down because people literally just don’t have the money in their pocket to spend inside the store,” he said. “That’s one reason why we would much rather see these costs go down.”

So, there’s not much drivers can do to escape the high prices, but AAA has tips.

“Now is a really good time for drivers to consider shopping around,” AAA Michigan Spokesperson Adrienne Woodland said. “They may want consider paying cash for gasoline. Some retailers charge more if you use a credit card. Now is also a great time for drivers to enroll in fuel reward savings programs”

Otherwise, both Griffin and Woodland believe gas prices will remain volatile alongside oil prices, so it’s not clear whether they will come down any time soon.

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Kyle Whittingham is dreaming big for Michigan football; it’s doable

Published

1 day ago

March 24, 2026

Press Room

Kyle Whittingham is dreaming big for Michigan football; it’s doable

Kyle Whittingham is the new head coach of Michigan football following Sherrone Moore’s firing.
Whittingham believes the team can compete for a Big Ten championship in his first year without a rebuild.
Michigan still has many talented players, including quarterback Bryce Underwood and running back Savion Hiter.
The new coaching staff plans to implement a physical, run-heavy offense and a versatile, turnover-focused defense.

Each day Kyle Whittingham walks into Schembechler Hall, he is reminded of Michigan football’s tremendous power. The program he now leads possesses a rich tradition, abundant resources and immense brand recognition.

“I mean, it’s all here,” he said last week at the outset of spring practice.

A convincing case can be made that the Wolverines’ built-in advantages have diminished the impact of their own self-inflicted controversies, which stirred intense turmoil and caused reputational damage but did not lead to complete devastation. Even in the turbulent wake of former coach Sherrone Moore’s shocking firing this past December, college football’s winningest program weathered a destabilizing leadership change and remained relatively unscathed.

In this era of mass player movement, the Wolverines managed to retain many of their top contributors and the bulk of their 2026 signing class, which was ranked 11^th-best in the country by 247Sports. Whittingham, in fact, is so bullish about Michigan’s new crop of freshmen that he told reporters “a lot of those guys are going to help out right away.”

Following his awkward, bitter divorce from Utah – the school where he coached in some capacity for the past 32 years – the 66-year-old Whittingham understands that he landed in a fortunate situation at a place he calls “one of the pinnacles of college football.” It’s why he has already set his mind on achieving lofty goals in his first season in Ann Arbor.

“At Michigan,” Whittingham said, “I would say if you’re not thinking Big Ten championship every year, then something’s wrong.”

Whittingham has reason to believe he can completely bypass the rebuilding phase that usually accompanies a regime change and complete organizational reboot. The team he inherited, after all, won nine games and remained in contention for a College Football Playoff berth until halfway through the third quarter of a 27-9 loss to Ohio State in the regular-season finale.

It was a rather impressive achievement considering Michigan was led by Moore, a flawed, inexperienced coach who still seemed out of his depth in his second year in charge. There is reason to assume Whittingham is capable of producing even better results given that he is more seasoned and successful than his disgraced predecessor. Eight seasons with 10 or more victories during Whittingham’s 21-year tenure at Utah’s helm support that supposition. The Utes, Whittingham noted, were a “more of a development” program populated with lower-tier recruits.

Michigan is not that.

The Wolverines have a strong talent base loaded with players other elite programs coveted. Bryce Underwood, the team’s sophomore quarterback, was the top high school prospect in the 2025 class. Savion Hiter, a five-star freshman, was rated the No. 2 running back in the nation as a high school senior. They headline a large cohort of blue-chippers that dot a roster returning 63% of its production from last season, a share that is among the 20 largest in the country, according to ESPN. With 10 starters back, including seven on offense, the transition should be relatively smooth.

While defensive coordinator Jay Hill noted that that Whittingham and his new staff will have to build their “own identity” and a new “culture,” the football philosophy appears similar to the one Moore, and his mentor Jim Harbaugh, espoused.

Whittingham, just as they did, said he wants the Wolverines to be “physically tough” and control the line of scrimmage. In Whittingham’s final season at Utah, the Utes finished second in the country in rushing, averaging 266.3 yards per game on the ground. Much in the same way Michigan has done for years, they feature their tight ends in the passing game and rely on a healthy diet of play-action throws.

“They’ll pack it in and pound you and they’ll spread you out and throw it,” said Hill, who was BYU’s DC the past three seasons and matched wits with Michigan’s new OC Jason Beck last year, when he was at Utah.

Hill noted that the offense is versatile, much like his own defensive scheme, which he likened to the one Michigan ran under Jesse Minter during its run to a CFP championship in 2023. Minter’s system, which had NFL roots and included a menu of coverages, multiple fronts and packages of simulated pressures, was a huge success; it allowed the fewest points and yards per game in the country that year. Michigan also created the fourth-most takeaways. As Hill watched the Wolverines back then, he noted, “That defense looks just like us.”

BYU, under Hill, then began to resemble them in results. Over the past two years, the Cougars forced 53 turnovers, the fifth-highest total in the nation during that span.

The numbers, Hill said, show that his scheme “works.”

“We believe emphatically that it is the best system in the country,” he added.

Hill is eager to prove it. Much like his boss, he sees no point in tamping down expectations. A rebuild, he said, is not even a consideration because “no one puts up with that in today’s world.

“Do we expect to be good in Year 1?” Hill asked rhetorically. “Absolutely. Do we expect to be competing for championships? That’s why we came here.”

The program they now lead has seeded them with the confidence their goals can be accomplished in short order. While history has shown Michigan is not too big to fail, it’s understandable why anyone given ownership of this football Leviathan would think it is. As soon as he assumed control, Whittingham realized he was set up for success. Now, it’s his mission to achieve it.

It seems eminently possible he will, if he can make the right moves with all the quality pieces he has come to possess.

Contact Rainer Sabin at rsabin@freepress.com.

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