The bright lights of Madison Square Garden seemed to have a bewildering effect on Michigan basketball. Once aiming to take a step forward, they instead found themselves tripping and stumbling down the rankings. This once-proud team had been on a winning streak of seven consecutive games. However, a tight 89 - 87 neutral - site loss in Manhattan to Arkansas and their hot - shot head coach John Calipari was enough to send them plummeting seven spots to No. 21 in the latest USA TODAY Coaches Poll rankings.

Big Ten Team Jumble

Around this area, there is a jumble of Big Ten teams. Oregon holds the top spot at No. 10 in the league, followed by No. 17 Purdue, No. 18 UCLA, No. 19 Michigan State, and U - M at No. 21. It's a competitive landscape within the conference.

MSU's Recent Status

Michigan State had a week off but is set to play Oakland on Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. This upcoming game will be an important one for them as they look to get back on track.

Michigan's Current Situation

Michigan entered a "self work" week between marquee matchups. In the first half against Arkansas, they led by 15 points. But then, things took a turn. They were outscored by 33 points in the middle of the game and found themselves behind by 18. However, they made a comeback and got within one bucket on multiple occasions in the final minute. Despite their elite 2 - point shooting (No. 6 in the nation at 61%) and 2 - point shooting defense (No. 16 in the nation at 43.2%), they turn the ball over far too much (No. 334, 21.4% of possessions). Their balance has been a strong suit with Vlad Goldin, Danny Wolf, Roddy Gayle, and Tre Donaldson all averaging double figures. This week, they will need to continue this form as the schedule gets no easier. They will play away from home for the fifth time in six games against No. 15 Oklahoma (10 - 0) in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte on Wednesday (9 p.m., ESPN).Tony Garcia is the Michigan Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.