Michigan's Moritz Wagner, Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and coach John Beilein react to their 92-88 defeat to Purdue on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018 in West Lafayette, Ind. Nick Baumgardner, Detroit Free Press
When everything's right, John Beilein's brand of basketball is equal parts petrifying and poetic.
An offensive thunderclap filled with shooters, high-IQ ball-handlers and intricate sets, Michigan has the potential to bring any defense in America to a knee while getting a round of applause in the process.
Minutes after surviving one of the most entertaining offensive outbursts college basketball has seen this season, Purdue coach Matt Painter – the architect of what might be the country's best team – stared into a sea of reporters briefly after being asked what Michigan did to give his team issues defensively.
More: Michigan unable to finish vs. Purdue, loses shot to grab signature win
"Well, they didn't miss," Painter deadpanned. "(Expletive), there it is right there."
When everything is right, Michigan has the goods to play with and beat anyone in America.
But with eight regular season games remaining, the Wolverines must decide: Do they want to be the team that is almost good enough to be great?
Or do they want to be great?
More: Michigan comes up short in wild, back-and-forth game at Purdue, 92-88
A month ago, Beilein would've left Mackey Arena after a performance like the one his team turned in Thursday disappointed in a loss but encouraged with the progress. But it's not the end of December. It's stretch time now.
And for Michigan (17-6, 6-4 Big Ten), it's time to eliminate the little things standing in the way of this team reaching its potential. Because it has the potential to be special.
"We've played some really good teams, and (Purdue) twice, tough, and that means you can play with a lot of people," Beilein remarked with a stern tone Thursday night. "But just playing with them wasn't why we're here.
"To win ... (that) was why we were here."
On the surface, most of what Michigan has done through 23 games with an inexperienced roster has been more than above average. The Wolverines are 34th nationally in offensive efficiency and 33rd in defensive efficiency, per KenPom as of Saturday afternoon.
In Beilein's previous 10 seasons, no U-M team has finished a season inside the top 35 in defensive efficiency. So far, this has arguably been his best defensive club. It's been ahead of schedule in some ways, but also pretty much what Michigan thought it could be when the year began.
Charles Matthews and Zavier Simpson are two of the best perimeter defenders Beilein has had in years, Isaiah Livers gives the Wolverines a different presence physically and Moritz Wagner has transformed himself from a player who was lost defensively, in most every area, three years ago to a much more formidable presence inside.
Offensively, Beilein's best teams over the years have grown as the season wore on. On Thursday, in Game 23, Michigan racked up an effective field goal percentage of 71.5 against a Purdue team that has held opponents under 45 percent all year.
That's a ridiculous number. U-M got there by making contested shots, to be sure, but the Wolverines also showed sizable growth in its ball screen offense – notably with Simpson and Matthews making plays and creating shots for others in switch situations.
If those two guards can continue to make teams pay for switching ball screens, then opposing defenses may have to throw their hands in the air. If you hedge, Wagner's ability to shoot the 3 and drive as a 6-foot-11 center will give you fits. If you switch and Michigan still gets to the rim? Then you'd better pray for a mental error.
Purdue did exactly that. And U-M delivered.
The little things, like committing back-to-back turnovers twice down the stretch in a game that close. You can probably add three more to that list, because missed layups basically count as a turnover. Missed free throws? Same.
"We have a long way to go in this season with eight games left. I think four home, four away," Beilein said. "We're going to have to win a lot more games and get better. And the only way we can do that if we continue to practice and continue to self-correct some of the habits that we have.
"And the coaches have to continue to look at the game and try to grow as well. And of course, that's me included."
Every game on Michigan's remaining schedule is winnable. Though nothing in the Big Ten comes for free. The Wolverines still have a shot against Ohio State, but also have to make a trip to an improving Penn State team and a Maryland club that nearly pulled off a win at Crisler Center. Wisconsin is struggling this season, but the Kohl Center is never an easy place to play. Northwestern and Minnesota are both fighting for their lives, which could make them dangerous.
Michigan is dangerous, too. But now it has to decide if it wants to be almost good enough, or just plain good enough.
Contact Nick Baumgardner: nbaumgardn@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickBaumgardner. Download our Wolverines Xtra app for free on Apple and Android devices!
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