The Michigan Wolverines have been a decent team all season, but they were never able to reach their true potential, especially in conference play, with star player Caris Levert out due to a leg injury. Levert's leg injury has kept him out of 15 of Michigan's last 16 games, and it has not progressed as well as the Wolverines would have hoped.
There had been hope that Levert would be able to rest the leg during the end of the regular season and return for the Big Ten tournament and NCAA tournament. Levert had previously made a comeback attempt on Feb. 14, but he only played 11 minutes in that game against Purdue before having to leave the game and not return.
After much consideration, Michigan has decided to shut down Levert for the rest of the season. Head coach John Beilein and the Michigan training staff have decided that it is better for Levert's long-term health to not play the rest of this season. Levert is projected to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NBA Draft, so if he played again and re-injured his leg it could have a huge impact on his professional future.
It is an unfortunate way for Levert to end his college career at Michigan, as he is a senior, but it is the right decision for his future to not risk re-injury. Levert's absence has hurt Michigan, and the fact that the team will definitely not be getting him back now is a bit deflating. Levert leads the team with his 16.5 points per game and his 4.9 assists per game and was having a great all-around season when he was on the floor.
This news will also likely have postseason ramifications on the Wolverines as they are currently battling for an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament. With one game left on the schedule, Michigan is expected to be one of the last teams in the tournament, but that could change very quickly. The Wolverines final regular season game is at home against Iowa, and they likely need to either win that or make a run in the Big Ten Tournament to feel safe about their inclusion in the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately for the Wolverines, they now know they have to do it without their best player.
