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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan is still waiting to be back at full strength, as forward Isaiah Livers continues to languish on the bench with an injury he sustained in mid-December against Presbyterian.
With 13-5 Penn State coming to Crisler Center on Wednesday, the Nittany Lions are currently two wins better in their overall record than the Wolverines, who sit at 11-6 after Friday night’s road loss at Iowa.
As it stands on Tuesday, Michigan head coach Juwan Howard still indicates that Livers is day-to-day with his injury, and that he would at least like to see him practice a few times before he’s ready to put him back out on the floor.
“Actually, it’s a day-to-day process, and he’s improving,” Howard said. “He’s definitely improving. It’s a great sign – not a good sign, a great sign.
“We’re looking forward to Isaiah joining us in practice very soon. That’s a part of Isaiah getting closer to joining his teammates on the court. My philosophy is I like to see our guys practice at least once or twice and hopefully soon Isaiah will be able to go out there and compete and see how he feels after a practice. Because that’s always the case, too – when you practice, your body hasn’t done anything in 4-6 weeks, so you’re gonna be sore. But how do you feel from that injury? That’s the key point the next day.”
Livers does seem like he’s inching closer, having initially dressed and warmed up with the team in Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Friday night.
But, this has been a learning process for the third-year Kalamazoo native, as he isn’t accustomed to sitting by idly, especially considering that his role with the team is much bigger this year than it has been in his first two.
“Yeah, it’s been a frustrating process (for Livers),” Howard said. “Here’s a guy who sees his teammates out there, competing hard. Been a part of the team in the beginning of the season. Was a part of the team success – a huge part of the team success. And now, you miss – I stopped counting how many games he’s missed. And looking at his face, yes, it wears on you. Because he wants to be out there helping his team. He knows that his teammates need him. He missed the competition and he missed the games of playing against your opponents and sharing the success and the fun opportunities with his teammates. And now, his brothers, they’re clawing and they’re fighting and he’s cheering them on, doing whatever he can to help. Being a great leader. And he’s developing some great leadership. Not saying he didn’t have it before but this is the time where he’s not only becoming a student of the game, but he’s growing, seeing the game from a different lens now.”
That said, Howard says that Livers has a newfound maturity about him, one that comes from having to go through such a prolonged period without playing.
It can be devastating to a player to not get to suit up and join his teammates, but Livers has made the most of his opportunities on that front.
And it all starts with his knowing that he’s currently limited in his capacity, no matter how frustrating that might be.
“One of the best things that I’ve witnessed from Isaiah was that he told me that he’s vulnerable,” Howard said. “He said, ‘Coach, this is a tough time for me right now and I’m going through it.’ And I thought it was beautiful for Isaiah to share that information with me, feel comfortable to share some personal feelings with the experience of an injury and trusting me in that way.
“My best advice for him was – I’ll give it to you in a short way: ‘Every player goes through this through some point in their career. Whether it’s in high school, collegiate or NBA level. Right now, it’s you, but the best part of this is being around your teammates. That’s what’s gonna help you get through those tough times and being away from us or hanging out in the training room or not traveling to games or not traveling on the road – you start to feel empty and alone and by yourself. When you’re around your teammates all the time, now you still feel like you’re a part of the group. And he is.”
Will Livers suit up on Wednesday evening against the Nittany Lions? We’ll know more around 7PM EST.