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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan head coach Juwan Howard said very little about junior forward Isaiah Livers’ injury status heading into the Rutgers game on Saturday, demurring that he doesn’t have any medical expertise.
“I’m not a doctor,” Howard said. “I don’t get paid for it. I’m a former basketball player. What I studied here at University of Michigan, I did not study any physics or any deal with the medical. So all this stuff is new stuff with me. Fortunately enough, I had a great, healthy career. I’m really dumbfounded when it comes to injuries. I’m just learning all of this.”
But, one of his teammates shared a little more about where he stands injury-wise at the moment.
Sophomore point guard David DeJulius did indicate on Friday that Livers has been at least involved — in some capacity — in practice. Though, he didn’t share to what end he’s been effective.
“Isaiah’s been doing a little here and there,” DeJulius said. “Yeah, he has. But Coach is just making sure that he’s ready so that when he’s ready to come back he’s ready. He’s diligent about his treatment with the trainers and stuff like that.”
While Coach Howard wouldn’t indicate whether it was a new injury or the re-aggravation of the pre-existing one that kept Livers out for nearly two months, DeJulius shined some light on the situation, noting that, to his knowledge, it seems to be the same one, but the prognosis isn’t nearly as dire.
“I think it was the same, but it’s not nearly as bad,” DeJulius said. “But we don’t want to make the same mistake we had last time, make sure he not come back early. So we want to make sure he’s back 100%.”
It still seems unlikely that Livers will return to the lineup on Saturday, given that the team isn’t trying to rush him back. Michigan travels to New York City to face Rutgers at Madison Square Garden for a Feb. 1, 4:30PM EST tip-off.