BASKETBALL

Michigan MBB drops from No. 14 to No. 24 in AP poll

The Wolverines fell ten spots after a close loss to Arkansas

Published

1 month ago

December 16, 2024

Dec 10, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks forward Trevon Brazile (4) dunks past Michigan Wolverines center Vladislav Goldin (50) in the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

No. 24 Michigan men’s basketball (8-2, 2-0 Big Ten) slid down ten spots in the latest AP poll. The Wolverines were ranked 14th last week following a seven game winning streak, but they fell short against Arkansas 89-87.

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Michigan MBB drops to No. 14 in AP poll

“Looking at the film, we didn’t feel great about it,” head coach Dusty May said. “We made too many mistakes – self-inflicted. Credit (to) Arkansas, they played well, they made plays. They have some really dynamic playmakers. We felt like we made a lot of self-inflicted errors, and in that environment, if you do that you shrink your margin of error.”

Turnovers were a problem once again, as Michigan gave the ball away 17 times. The Wolverines average 15.3 turnovers per game, which is ranked 340th in the country. It’s still fairly early in the season, but Michigan won’t last long in March if it can’t take care of the ball.

It was a game of runs against the Razorbacks, and Michigan was up by as much as 15 in the first half. Arkansas had an 18 point lead in the second half, but the maize and blue hung around. Forward Danny Wolf and center Vladislav Goldin led the charge on both ends of the floor. Wolf put up 14 points, nine assists and nine rebounds. Goldin had a team-high 17 points with nine rebounds, one assist and two blocks.

Goldin had a slow start to the season offensively, but he’s been a force to be reckoned with over the past couple weeks. In his last four games, Goldin is averaging 19.8 points per contest.

Michigan has an opportunity to move back up in the polls as it faces No. 14 Oklahoma on Wednesday in the Jumpman Invitational.

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