With 7:10 remaining in Michigan’s 76-53 home loss to Illinois, Chaundee Brown airballed a free throw. The Illinois bench started jeering. Their guys in the lane were laughing, waving their arms and encouraging their teammates to continue.

That was one of several lowlights in U-M’s home loss to Illinois Tuesday night in Ann Arbor. That it might not have been the worst was indicative of just how bad it was.

With a championship on the line, the Wolverines got outhustled, outcoached, outplayed and embarrassed. No matter what happens the rest of the way (and there’s certainly no guarantee U-M will beat Michigan State twice and leave no doubt), many will now say a potential Big Ten title deserves an asterisk in a season in which they will have played three less games than the No. 5 Illini.