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[Brandi Wendelberger]

Liversa 6-foot-7, 230-pound rock of a freshman from Kalamazoo had watched John Beilein's Michigan basketball programs over the years. He knew about the intricate offensive system, the discipline, the attention to detail.

"That dude," of course, is freshman guard Jordan Poole. A supremely confident firecracker of a two-guard from Milwaukee who does things his own way and never apologizes for it. Poole plays at Michigan, home of the Fab Five's baggy shorts.

Michigan will enter its lone rivalry tilt with fourth-ranked Michigan State on Saturday in East Lansing with a 14-4 record, 3-2 in Big Ten play. Beilein's had more skilled clubs during his 11-year run at U-M, a journey that's produced two Big Ten titles, a league tournament crown and a national title game appearance. He's certainly had more seasoned rosters.

This group features a rotation that includes three freshmen, a sophomore point guard (Zavier Simpson) who barely played a year ago, a sophomore wing (Charles Matthews) who came from a completely different world and a 7-footer from Ohio (Jon Teske) who had more fouls than points last season.

It's a word Nik Stauskas and company taught Beilein in 2012, when Michigan's star-studded freshman class took the program by storm, led the Wolverines to the Final Four and changed Beilein as a coach.

Through 18 games, it has been exactly that. Every trip down the floor has been a learning experience for this group, and for Beilein. On Tuesday night, during a near upset of No. 5-ranked Purdue, the entire dynamic was on full display midway through the first half.

On the next trip, a nerve-racked Beilein stormed through his coaching box, frantically shouting instruction to his young group that appeared to be veering off the coach's planned offensive set. The ball movement was lacking. Beilein's rolled-up sleeves were tossed into the air, sure the Wolverines were going to squash the spark of momentum they'd just found.

Then, in a blink, Matthews took the ball outside the top of the key, made one jab step and buried a 22-footer. The bench erupted. The crowd followed. Michigan was back in the game and all Beilein could do was turn and shrug.

"We're just tougher (than previous young Michigan teams). We know we can hang in and fight through till the end," senior co-captain Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman says. "Stuff happens in a game. We keep playing.

Beilein's talked in the past about working toward being a coach who can help younger players avoid, as he describes it, playing "with tuxedos on." In Beilein language, that's a diplomatic way of describing a player who is soft.

He's explained how difficult it's been for him and his coaching staffs over the years to identify players who hold both the prerequisite offensive skill sets required to function in this offense, while also showing a willingness to claw for a loose ball or step in and take a charge. AAU tournaments are not littered with floor diving competitions, as this is an issue every program has.

Every game has been a learning experience for Michigan's growing group, but a collapse at Ohio State in December might have been the biggest educational tool to date. The Wolverines held a 20-point lead before the break, but ended up losing by nine. The team's defensive efforts vanished and, for the first time all year, they panicked offensively.

Entering the Michigan State game, Michigan's KenPom-rated defensive efficiency number (28) is actually higher than its offensive mark (42). For Beilein teams, that's basically unheard of. Michigan's Sweet 16 squad a year ago ranked No. 4 offensively, No. 69 defensively. In 2013, when Michigan made the title game, it did so on the back of a ridiculous offense (No. 1) that was opposed by what was nearly the worst defensive efficiency number (37) to win the whole thing in a decade.

It's far from perfect and Michigan's massive test this week is nowhere near over. Michigan State and Purdue are the best teams Michigan will play during the regular season. They'll see them both in the span of five days.

In years past, mistakes like these have compounded for some of Beilein's younger clubs. Three years ago, Michigan's freshmen provided very little and injuries derailed everything in a .500 season. In 2015-16, maturity, confidence and toughness plagued the Wolverines from wire-to-wire as Michigan barely scraped into the tournament. Last year, before Derrick Walton led Michigan on a springtime joy ride, Michigan found itself playing too tight again and, as a result, were on the outside looking in when February started.

Beilein's youngsters have some swag again. Maybe not to the level of a Stauskas telling anyone who would listen he's the best shooter in America or Trey Burke pulling up from 30 feet in the Sweet 16 because he knew he was due. But this group's not trying to be someone else. Just itself.

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