One week ago, Michigan was the hottest team in America. They had won five straight games and seven of their last eight and had been the nation’s best team in February according to T-Rank.

No more.

Michigan lost both of its contests last week: the first to Wisconsin at home, 81-74, and the second to Ohio State on the road, 77-63. It was a disappointing sequence of events for the Wolverines. Beforehand, they were powering their way towards a top 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament and an outside shot at a share of the Big Ten championship. Now, with a road rumble with Maryland on deck on Sunday, they are hoping to stay above the 7 seed line.

So why did Michigan have this sudden backslide? Wisconsin and Ohio State exploited a vulnerability in Michigan’s shooting defense and then scorched the nylons from downtown.