Michigan's Isaiah Livers Out Indefinitely After Undergoing MRI on Foot Injury
March 13, 2021
Michigan head coach Juwan Howard announced Saturday that senior forward Isaiah Livers will be out indefinitely because of a stress injury to his right foot.
Livers appeared to get hurt during the first half of Friday's Big Ten tournament quarterfinal against Maryland and played a season-low 15 minutes in the Wolverines' 79-66 win.
UM is scheduled to face Ohio State in the semifinals at 1 p.m. ET Saturday.
James Hawkins of the Detroit News noted Livers began to limp after a defensive possession about seven minutes into the matchup with the Terrapins, and he sat out extended stretches from that point forward.
"Isaiah, with the 15 minutes that he was out there, he was giving his best to the game and trying to affect the game in any kind of way possible," Howard said after the win. "Now we're going to do our best to look at film and see what is best to move forward to help Isaiah be ready for the next game."
It's a significant loss for the Wolverines. The Michigan native leads the team with 31.6 minutes per game and ranks second with 13.1 points per game along with averages of 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 threes and 2.0 assists across 23 appearances. He's shooting 43.1 percent from beyond the arc.
Though the team didn't rule him out for the remainder of the season, UM's title chances will take a hit if he's not able to return during the NCAA tournament.
Not only is Livers a key offensive contributor, but he's also a versatile defender with the ability to play in the post or on the wing depending on the matchup.
Michigan is still on track to receive a No. 1 seed in March Madness, and it could remove all doubt about its placement in the bracket by winning the Big Ten title.
A lot of pressure will fall on the shoulders of Brandon Johns Jr. and Austin Davis to fill the void. They combined for 13 points, and Davis pulled in eight rebounds in 12 minutes, in the win over the Terps. Their playing time is set to rise beginning against Ohio State.
The Wolverines would face either Illinois or Iowa in Sunday's final if they advance.