Michigan basketball was irrelevant for most of the past decade, overshadowed by football and absent from the national scene thanks to the unscrupulous Ed Martin and a couple of overmatched coaches.

Then came last year, when John Beilein's ballclub rose up and made the NCAA tournament. Hopes were high for this season, but after losing 4 of their last 5 games the Wolverines are dangerously close to falling out of favor again.

Michigan lost on the road Wednesday against a mediocre Utah team, 68-52.

It didn't help that Zack Novak missed the game with the flu, but Michigan couldn't shoot straight again and Utah owned the undersized Wolverines on the boards.

As CollegeHoops.net points out, the Wolverines have 2 chances left to earn a quality non-conference win or their tough early-season schedule could be all for naught.

More links: • One of 3 finalists for the Ray Guy Award, Zoltan Mesko will be at the College Football Awards Show tonight. He set a school record for punting average this season, and is "humbled" to be considered among the country's best punters.

• Mesko, by the way, will play in the Senior Bowl next month in Mobile, Ala. Brandon Graham might, too, and Brandon Minor is on the East roster at the East-West Shrine Game alongside Central Michigan's Dan Lefevour and Michigan State's Blair White.

• ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg recaps Michigan's season, giving MVP honors to Tate Forcier on offense and Brandon Graham on defense.

• Nine current and former MSU players were charged with assault Wednesday in connection with a November dorm brawl. So far, 11 players have been suspended and 2 kicked off the team for their roles in the incident.

• All that lobbying for the Notre Dame job might be hurting Brian Kelly. UConn's Randy Edsall is also under consideration.

Dave Birkett covers University of Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached by phone at 734-623-2552 or by e-mail at davidbirkett@annarbor.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.