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3 takeaways from Michigan's 73-69 loss to Kentucky in London

Sunday afternoon's matchup between Michigan and Kentucky in London featured two of college basketball's best big men in Oscar Tshiebwe and Hunter Dickinson. It was a tight back and forth battle in the first half, and Tshiebwe and Dickinson traded punches like fighters in a heavyweight fight. Here are three takeaways from the Wolverines' 73-69 loss to Kentucky.

When will Llewellyn figure things out?

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Michigan has had an abundance of riches at the point guard position dating all the way back to Trey Burke, or maybe even Manny Harris. Although Juwan Howard has gone to the transfer portal recently to find his point guards, this year's addition hasn't quite been up to par.

Princeton transfer Jaelin Llewellyn has had a rough start to his Michigan career, and it didn't get any better on Sunday. Llewellyn finished the game with four points on 2-8 shooting, including 0-2 from distance.

The biggest storyline surrounding Llewellyn may not be his poor start to the season anymore. The 6-foot-2 guard exited the game in the second half with an apparent left knee injury. If the senior is out for an extended period of time and is unable to figure things out, freshman Dug McDaniel will have to fill the shoes of the older, more experienced guard.

Tshiebwe vs. Dickinson lived up to the hype

Two of the best big men in America squared off on Sunday afternoon across the pond, and the showdown did not disappoint. Tshiebwe and Dickinson battled back and forth for the majority of the game, but the Tshiebwe's efforts ultimately helped the Wildcats to the victory.

Kentucky's 6-foot-9 big man didn't put up any record-breaking numbers, but he did register a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds.

Dickinson also had an impressive game, and although he didn't record a double-double like his competitor, he poured in 23 points in the loss. Dickinson has already done enough in his career at Michigan to prove himself as one of the best big men in college basketball, but the junior put up a strong performance against another top-tier big man on Sunday.

Is it time to rotate in Isaiah Barnes?

Isaiah Barnes hasn't played much of a role for Michigan so far this season, but the 6-foot-7 sophomore drilled two 3-pointers in a row in the first half which were huge for Michigan in terms of staying within striking distance.

The two 3-pointers were Barnes' only shot attempts of the game, but the guard played only one minute in the second half. Will Tschetter also saw the floor in the first half, so it's quite possible that Juwan Howard is considering expanding his rotations. Maybe Isaiah Barnes is the next man up in that pecking order.

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