Three takeaways from Michigan's inexcusable 64-58 loss to Maryland

It was an unofficial homecoming for Hunter Dickinson, Terrance Williams II and Dug McDaniel on Thursday night as the three Wolverines returned to the area in which they grew up. It was the first time that any of the three had played in front of a home Maryland crowd.

However, the homecoming game was spoiled as Michigan's offense sputtered in a 64-58 loss at the hands of the Terrapins. Here are three takeaways from the game, as Michigan falls to 10-8 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten.

It's no secret that Michigan has struggled with lineup issues throughout the season. Ever since Jaelin Llewellyn went down with an ACL injury in a game against Kentucky back in December, Juwan Howard has had a tough task of putting the right combination of five players on the floor.

Dug McDaniel has filled in well for Llewellyn, but the freshman can't play 40 minutes every game. When the McDaniel is on the bench, Kobe Bufkin typically slides over to the point guard role, but that affects the rest of the lineup.

Coach Howard had recently been experimenting with Dickinson and Tarris Reed on the floor at the same time, and it seemed to work fairly well in recent games, but the two big men shared the floor sparingly on Thursday night. Reed played only four minutes in the first half, while Dickinson carried the load for Michigan at the '5.'

Going forward, it will be interesting to see if Howard goes back to the Dickinson-Reed lineup, or if he continues giving Reed minutes only when Dickinson is on the bench.

It's no secret that Williams has had a rough junior season, but the 6-foot-7 forward came alive in his homecoming. The junior went to work on the boards and his efforts were certainly needed on Thursday night.

He finished the night with nine points and 12 rebounds, but the Maryland native showed signs of improvement, and more importantly, confidence in the loss. He hasn't been Michigan's most productive player this season, but if he can regain his confidence as the final third of the season looms, it would be huge for Michigan.

In last season's NCAA Tournament, Williams delivered against Tennessee with two huge put-backs to help the Wolverines to the victory. That sort of confidence from the junior could be critical to Michigan's success in the late stretch of the season.

In the second half, Joey Baker provided a much-needed spark with five consecutive points, but the bench production remains a concern for Juwan Howard and the Wolverines. To go along with Baker's five points, Reed added four and Will Tschetter added two.

Overall, the bench combined for 11 points in the loss. Isaiah Barnes was the only other bench player to see the floor, but he failed to record a stat in seven minutes of action.

If Michigan wants to make the NCAA Tournament, it will need to find more production from its bench. The starting five isn't experienced enough to carry the team to a road victory, and the bench will play a vital role going forward.

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