Takeaways from Michigan’s loss to Maryland

The No. 17 Michigan Wolverines came up short in their comeback bid, falling to No. 13 Maryland in the final game at Crisler Center this season. Here are the takeaways from Michigan’s second loss in a row:

In a top-20 matchup, the last at Crisler Center for the 2024-25 season, the No. 17 Michigan Wolverines fell to the No. 13 Maryland Terrapins , 71-65.

Michigan no longer controls its own destiny when it comes to a Big Ten regular season title. The Wolverines could still clinch a share of it with No. 8 Michigan State if:

• Iowa beats Michigan State on Thursday
• Michigan beats Michigan State in East Lansing on Sunday

The Wolverines played solid defense in the half-court, but despite another 20-point game from Vlad Goldin — his third in a row — and a second-half surge, the Terrapins did enough to hang on.

This is the time of year when momentum is supposed to be building for a tournament-bound college basketball team. After back-to-back losses, the Wolverines need to get their swagger back.

Here are the takeaways from the loss:

Vlad, the defensive anchor and a post-up menace

Maryland missed a lot of high quality shots at the rim due to the rim protection provided by Vlad Goldin, Michigan’s leading scorer.

As he’s done all season, Goldin (20 points, 13 rebounds) did a great staying straight up and being physical without fouling Terrapin drivers.

The big man deserves big-time props — he raised the floor for Michigan’s defense while keeping them in striking distance with offensive rebounds and post finishes. He couldn’t miss when Michigan was making it’s second-half push.

Second-half surge helps sputtering offense

Against a Maryland team ranked 11th in defense on KenPom, Michigan struggled to get good looks and finish the good looks it was getting until midway through the second half.

A 10-0 run in just under 90 seconds around the first-half under-12 timeout gave Michigan a bit of a cushion. Aside from that run and a few tough Danny Wolf buckets, Michigan struggled to get open shots, and a Terrapin run put the Wolverines in an eight-point hole late in the opening half.

Michigan used a hot stretch midway through the second half to cut Maryland’s lead to just two, snatching the momentum with a Tre Donaldson three, a Danny Wolf transition dunk, and some clutch points from Vlad Goldin.

Michigan got it to a one-possession game after that surge, but Maryland kept making tough baskets, doing just enough

Danny Wolf carries scoring load, but struggled with turnovers

After relatively struggling on offense the last few weeks, Wolf (20 points, seven rebounds, four assists) bounced back in this game, carrying Michigan’s offense at times.

Often going up against a fellow big with NBA upside in Derik Queen, Wolf got the best of the freshman a few times 1-on-1. A few turnovers to start the second half did seem to let the wind out of his sails, but he recovered with a transition dunk and a few real impressive finishes late, including a tough drive slithering through the lane and a step-back three.

Wolf hadn’t managed to match his season scoring average (12.4) the past four games over a two-week span. He’s got to get his turnovers (five in this one) under control, but Michigan is going to need him to keep playing well to have any sort of success once the regular season concludes.

Turnovers were an issue

After improving drastically in the turnover department the past month, the Wolverines turned the ball over way too much against the Terps (16-8). Four of those turnovers came in the first four minutes of the second half, stalling Michigan’s efforts to cut into Maryland’s 8-12 point cushion.

Turning the ball over is the easiest way to lose a college basketball game, and if the Wolverines don’t take care of the ball better, that could be the main reason they get upset in March Madness.

One of Danny Wolf/Tre Donaldson needs to be on the floor at all times

There was a 2-3 minute stretch in the first half where both Wolf and Tre Donaldson were on the bench. Michigan doesn’t do this very often, considering those two are its two best playmakers.

With those two both out, the offense mostly consisted of force feeding Goldin in the post, with Terp defenders swarming him in the middle of the paint for some difficult attempts.

Michigan doesn’t have the scoring personnel to get consistent offense when both Wolf or Donaldson are out. I’d expect staggered minutes and at least one of them to be on the floor at all times for tournament time.

A Sam Walters injury update

Before tonight’s game, a source told Maize n Brew that Sam Walters — who was out for personal matters, and then an injured back — is questionable for the Big Ten Tournament and beyond. We’re told he’s been talking to both Michigan doctors and his family’s doctors.

We will provide an update when we hear more. Michigan could certainly use his three-point shooting off the bench.

Up Next

Michigan concludes the regular season with a rematch against No. 8 Michigan State at noon on CBS.