ANN ARBOR, MI — “We’re on the map now!”

Those were Michigan head coach Juwan Howard’s jubilant words after his team swept through the loaded field at the Battle of Atlantis Tournament to move from unranked to No. 4 in the AP rankings.

That was only two months ago. Today, after a 64-62 home loss to Illinois, you couldn’t find the Wolverines on the map with a magnifying glass, their best player reinjured himself after coming down wrong on a dunk (again), and an NCAA Tournament bid is now in serious jeopardy.

Michigan has had opportunities to win down the stretch in just about every game it’s played this year, but just hasn’t finished. Free throws and missed opportunities were the culprit in the loss to the Illini that has put U-M firmly behind the eight ball.

The enormity of this one as it pertains to the season wasn’t lost on Howard and his players.

“It hurts. It hurts everyone,” he said. “The hardest part in sports, when you are coaching 18- through 22-year-olds … they really love the game of basketball. They’re passionate about the game of basketball, and that’s what makes coaching so special at this level. They’re impressionable; they’re craving for more knowledge. They want to get better, and they’re looking for the right leader to trust them.