There are two distinct feelings after a college basketball loss.
The first is the confusion that comes from losing a game that should have been a win. Trying to figure out what went wrong yields plenty of frustration, but the other type of loss brings despair.
For Michigan, Sunday’s trip to East Lansing was the other sort of loss. The loss where it is clear that the pieces don’t add up. Michigan played hard for 40 minutes in East Lansing, but trailed wire-to-wire and never threatened Michigan State, dropping its fourth-straight against Cassius Winston.
The Wolverines were missing one of their most important players, but the Spartans had all of the answers. There was no obvious adjustment or quick fix.