Big Ten Basketball: Each team’s worst performance of the last decade

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CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 20: Darius Morris #4 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after missing the tying shot as the Wolverines lose to the Duke Blue Devils 73-71 during the third round of the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 20, 2011 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

Michigan

December 6, 2014 (NJIT 72, at Michigan 70) (GS: 39)

Two performances stood out while I was delving through Michigan’s last ten seasons, but the NJIT game stood taller for obvious reasons. Regardless, 2014-15 was a down year for John Beilein and Michigan amidst a very successful run this decade. Two national championship game appearances (that I believe were not worse performances than this behemoth), and a slew of healthy Big Ten seasons. On December 9, 2014, Michigan was at home against Eastern Michigan and dropped a very disappointing 45-42 game, a day where offense seemed to die. But what happened three days earlier was far worse.

NJIT went 0-29 in 2008, 1-30 in 2009, and were under .500 for the following five seasons. An independent team, one of very few, they traveled to Ann Arbor in early December a huge underdog against the #17 team in the nation. “Coming into the season, I sort of penciled this one in as an ‘L.” NJIT head coach Jim Engles admitted, especially for a team playing without their best player Terrence Smith.

But NJIT didn’t leave this game the loser, making 58% of their shots, including an impressive 11-17 from the 3. Despite Michigan scoring the game’s first eight points, NJIT clawed back into a close game that they were able to hold onto late. Damon Lynn led the Highlanders with 20 points, including 6-10 from the 3, while Ky Howard and Winfield Willis added 17 points apiece. Michigan, who didn’t shoot poorly, were left looking for answers despite 32 points from Caris LeVert.

A team that two years earlier fell to Louisville in the title game was now losing at home in embarrassing fashion. For Michigan fans, this was thankfully just a small bump in the road, finding their team back in the title game last year and a constant contender in the Big Ten. Even though they haven’t won the championship since 1989 (and they did lose to 13-seeded Ohio in 2012), this is a very solid program that should avoid focus hiccups like NJIT, but you never know what’ll happen.

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