ANN ARBOR, Mich. _ In any season, there are stretches on the schedule where truth starts pushing through.
Michigan just had one.
With the Big Ten now rotating Fox into its college basketball television partnership, the league schedule has been a bit different this season. Teams are playing on Mondays and Friday. And, at times, they're doing so on shorter rest.
After a 62-47 win over Rutgers on Sunday, John Beilein's club officially wrapped up a seven-game stretch over the course of 20 days. It wasn't perfect, but it was better than some may have anticipated.
And now, after finding out quite a bit about itself, the Wolverines have a chance to breathe and prepare for the second half of league play.
"We're tired, we're beat," Beilein said Sunday afternoon. "I'm just glad we could gut through this game so we can get refreshed with our legs, but also our game.
"(We had) one practice for every game (except one during this stretch). You're just playing and playing."
Michigan finished its seven-game January blitz at 5-2. The Wolverines nearly scored a win over Purdue, the Big Ten's best team, before actually stealing one at Michigan State.
Two days later, the Wolverines pulled out a wild one-point win over Maryland before running out of steam with a blowout loss at Nebraska on Thursday.
The win over Rutgers featured some of the familiar sights Michigan struggled with earlier this week in Lincoln. Jumpers were falling short or being pushed too long. Players weren't finishing at the rim. Mental lapses and defensive adjustments.
Like Nebraska and Purdue, Rutgers switched every ball screen Michigan threw at it Sunday_something Beilein's club is still adjusting to on the fly. The Wolverines will likely see the same Thursday when they visit the Boilermakers, as teams now appear hell-bent on not allowing Moritz Wagner to carve them up in space from deep or off the dribble.
But unlike the loss at Nebraska, Michigan found enough adjustments to get through a Rutgers team that ranks No. 19 nationally in defensive efficiency.
"We had a tough stretch," Wagner said. "That was a tough (part of the) schedule, man, and we're happy to get through it."
Michigan finds itself at the midway point of the Big Ten season with mixed emotions.
On one hand, the Wolverines have shown an ability to play at a higher level than most felt this team was capable of when the year began. Michigan's performance against Michigan State was its most complete effort of the year and it came during the same week the Wolverines nearly knocked off a Purdue team that's playing as well as any club in America.
Michigan took care of its business at struggling Iowa and at home against Illinois. The Wolverines survived a talented Maryland team on roughly 48 hours of rest.
But there was also a humbling 20-point loss at Nebraska earlier this week. A defeat that brought the Wolverines back to earth a bit and forced the club to understand it's not where it needs to be.
Take freshman Jordan Poole, for example. A lightning rod at times, Poole's scoring outburst was a key factor in the Wolverines' late-game win over Maryland last week.
Same time, he has a tendency to fall in love with the highlight-reel play, which led to a pair of unnecessary turnovers Sunday against Rutgers. There's good, there's bad and there's Beilein in his ear letting him know how to balance everything.
"That's the way it's been all year long and I actually embrace it," Beilein said. "Even if it doesn't look like I'm embracing it. ... He's learning. He'll continue to learn because he's a dynamic player that we love.
"But scoring the ball is really hard in this league. And when you have an opportunity and you give it away (that's tough). It's a simple thing and he'll learn from it."
The same can be said for the team at large.
After a seven-game stretch in 20 days, Michigan will now play just three times over the next two weeks, starting with a return trip to Purdue on Thursday.
The Boilermakers (19-2, 8-0) have notched double-digit wins in 10 of their last 11 outings.
The exception was a one-point win at Michigan on Jan. 9, where a controversial out of bounds ruling and a late foul cost the Wolverines a chance at a huge signature win.
Now, Michigan has three days to practice, prepare and refresh.
The last 20 days were difficult. But the next month will be no picnic either.
"I don't want to think about (Purdue) yet," Beilein joked. "Monday, our kids need just a day off. That's going to be huge for us. If you're in the gym, it's to the training room. No one's allowed in the gym or allowed to touch a ball.
"That's what we need. We just need rest. When you have a two-day prep with a day off, we have another day to get better."
