Michigan never led in its 82-52 loss to the Rutgers Scarlet Knights on Thursday night. In a spiraling season full of low point after low point, Thursday's loss in Piscataway proved to be a true measuring stick of just how bad this year's Michigan team is.
The Wolverines never led, and Rutgers led by as many as 26.
Here are three takeaways from the 21st loss of the season.
Dug McDaniel makes his return to the road
After serving a six-game road suspension due to academic issues, Michigan starting point guard Dug McDaniel returned to the road for Thursday night's game against Rutgers. It was McDaniel's first road game since Jan. 7, but unfortunately for the Wolverines his presence in Piscataway didn't have any effect on the outcome of the game.
McDaniel was the team's leading scorer with 13 points, but Michigan was simply pitiful all around in the loss. The 5-foot-11 point guard didn't miss from beyond the arc, but he failed to convert on either of his two free throw attempts.
Michigan will hit the road again this weekend to take on the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus. The Buckeyes have been playing great basketball since Chris Holtmann was fired, winning three of their four games in that timeframe.
If Michigan has any hopes of leaving Columbus with a win, McDaniel will need to be spectacular on Sunday.
Turnovers plague Michigan yet again
Ten first-half turnovers doomed Michigan in the loss. The Wolverines cleaned things up in the second half, committing only four turnovers, but the Scarlet Knights only gave up five possessions.
Nimari Burnett had a tough time keeping care of the ball. He committed five turnovers in the loss, while McDaniel and Will Tschetter added two each, and Tarris Reed Jr. coughed it up three times.
Michigan turns the ball over nearly 13 times per game, and it's been one of many issues the team has had this season.
Potential Big Ten Tournament matchup doesn't end well for Michigan
With the loss to Rutgers, Michigan has officially earned the No. 14 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will play in the first round of the conference tournament on Wednesday. It'll be the first time the Wolverines will play in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament since 2010.
With the way the conference standings are shaping up, if Rutgers can continue winning, Thursday night's contest may have been a preview of what fans will see come Wednesday night, March 13.
In two meetings this year, Michigan has yet to beat Rutgers, and it's hard to imagine a third meeting would go much differently.
Michigan still has two more regular-season games left, plus at least one game in the Big Ten Tournament.
---
Discuss this article with our community on our premium message boards
Not a subscriber to Maize & Blue Review? Sign up today to gain access to all the latest Michigan intel M&BR has to offer
Follow our staff on Twitter: @JoshHenschke, @Berry_Seth14, @TrevorMcCue, @DennisFithian, @BrockHeilig, @JimScarcelli, @lucasreimink
Subscribe to our podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify
Check out Maize & Blue Review's video content on YouTube
Follow Maize & Blue Review on social media: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram
