injuries

Welp. Wouldn't bank on a Livers return:

Isaiah Livers on WTKA this morning: “If I do (return), that’s miraculous.” (Screenshot via @247Wolverine) pic.twitter.com/DE9FstSOII

— Ethan Sears (@ethan_sears) March 15, 2021

I'm trying to remember the last time Michigan went into the postseason with a significant injury. A meaningful one: not having Devin Gardner for the Oh God Tyler Lockett Bowl doesn't count. I guess Jabrill Peppers versus Florida State. Mitch McGary in 2014 sort of counts but he'd been out for a long time and Michigan was still really good.

Anyway, having the chair pulled out like this sucks.

Who do you think Indiana should hire to be its next Head Coach? pic.twitter.com/iotkdbgRde

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) March 15, 2021

this tweet: lol lol lol lolllllllllll

Stay away from basketball dad. The Minnesota and Indiana jobs just opened and I swear they're really going to chase me into the ocean this time if this dread prophecy is fulfilled:

when undead John Beilein is roaming Indiana's bench next year with an amulet made of Kevin Love's desiccated head, please remember i am also sad about it https://t.co/ViiLh3oGPP

— mgoblog (@mgoblog) January 9, 2020

Thankfully, early vibes don't seem to be pointing in this direction. Beilein did draw mention on Seth Davis's candidate list—was in fact his pick for the job—but it sounds like he's just guessing. Beilein was omitted from David Cobb's, and it doesn't seem like the fanbase is overly enthusiastic about a guy who would necessarily be a stopgap since he's 68.

On the other hand, some of these Indiana names are downright preposterous. Davis listed Scott Drew and Nate Oats, as did Inside The Hall. Oats already shot that idea down. Drew has spent 18 years at Baylor, which stuck with him through a 12-52 conference record in his first four years, and has finally turned the Bears into an outright power with what would have been back-to-back one seeds if last year's tournament happened. ITH did not list a singe mid-major head coach, instead focusing on two guys above and further extreme longshots (Eric Mussleman two years in at Arkansas, Oregon's Dana Altman)… mostly.

The exception? MSU assistant Dane Fife. This would be amazing. MSU fans want to run Fife out of town on a rail because they blame him for having Thomas Kithier and Foster Loyer on the roster instead of large, athletic persons. Fife is a former Indiana player, FWIW, but man there's no in-between here. Porter Moser now seems like a solid idea! Try that!

[After THE JUMP: even more Michigan connections to Big Ten coaching searches]

Rumors about this started flying last night and now they've been confirmed:

…senior guard/forward Isaiah Livers will be out indefinitely after an MRI following yesterday's Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal game against Maryland revealed a stress injury to his right foot. Livers will wear a protective boot while he immediately begins rehabbing.

A stress injury doesn't sound good. There have been rumors that Livers is done for the season. Brendan Quinn got some pushback on that when he talked to someone inside the program:

Reached out to a number of people last night. Everyone extremely buttoned up (pretty common for U-M). All I was told was the worst-case scenario rumors are “very premature.” Maybe that’s just hopeful thinking? Could be. Don’t think anything firm will emerge until pregame in Indy. https://t.co/fqfAWb1fCr

— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) March 13, 2021

It's possible he'd try to play through it for the NCAA tournament. If that's possible, and how effective he could be, are unknowns.

There is no content after the jump.

This wasn't how I wanted to be reminded of the 2013 Final Four team.

Michigan's loss to end the regular season at Michigan State didn't cost them a Big Ten title, unlike 2013's finale, but there are some parallels. This team has now dropped two of their last three and is suddenly dealing with injury scares; Eli Brooks returned to the bench in a walking boot after rolling his right ankle while landing on Marcus Bingham and Franz Wagner reportedly limped off the floor after an awkward landing on his shot attempt just after the final buzzer.

The 2013 squad had the order the other way around. They started 20-1 but lost starting center Jordan Morgan to a badly sprained ankle that either kept him out or limited his effectiveness for much of the rest of the season. That team lost five of their last ten regular season games, one to a bad Penn State team, before falling apart in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals against Wisconsin.

Those parallels feel less comforting given the 2013 team had Mitch McGary ready to be unleashed in the NCAA Tournament, while the 2021 edition will lean on Zeb Jackson to fill in as the third guard for however long Brooks is absent. John Beilein's team had proven they could win without McGary. Juwan Howard's has fallen flat both times Brooks has been out, looking stagnant on offense both this afternoon and when he missed the blowout loss at Minnesota.

Any absence of Wagner long-term, meanwhile, would be a massive blow to this team's chances of making postseason noise.

not what you want to see [Campredon]

As for the game, Brooks exited after only four minutes, leaving a hole in Michigan's rotation that Jackson plugged for eight minutes in which he kept the ball moving around fine. On the occasions when the team created shots, which were less often than one would hope, they didn't fall. The Wolverines required assists on 17 of their 25 made field goals, a rate that surpasses "good passing" and gets into "nobody could finish plays" territory.

For the second time in three games, Wagner, Isaiah Livers, and Hunter Dickinson combined to shoot well below 50% (11/31 today), and Wagner didn't find his playmaking touch until Michigan was desperately digging out of a late 11-point hole. The Wagner-Dickinson pick-and-roll duo created two and-ones sandwiched around a Wagner steal to get M as close as two points with 1:13 to play, only for Josh Langford to hit a dagger three to answer.

Michigan got one more chance to make it a hair-raiser when Wagner made another three and then combined with Chaundee Brown to trap Rocket Watts on the sideline, where the MSU point guard stepped out for a turnover in a four-point game with 26 seconds remaining. Livers couldn't connect on a good look from three, however, and State iced the game at the line.

Rocket Watts hit some five-star shots [Campredon]

The Wolverines will want a few other chances back from this game. The team went 7/11 at the line and that understates the impact of missed free throws; both Mike Smith and Austin Davis missed front ends of one-and-ones when M got into the bonus midway through the second half and Dickinson couldn't cap off one of those and-ones.

Ultimately, though, this came down to shot-making. Watts had his best game of a tumultuous sophomore season, scoring 21 points—his highest output by eight points since December 4th against Detroit (23)—on a seemingly endless series of contested pull-up jumpers. Aaron Henry arrived at his 18 points in similar fashion, though he was able to craft his way to the rim a few more times. Joey Hauser needed only seven attempts to score 11.

Whether this week or next, Michigan needs to pull themselves together to deliver on the promise of this remarkable regular season. Barring the unforeseen, they'll still be afforded a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Which players are available, and how close they are to full health, will play a bigger role in this postseason than anyone would've hoped.

[Hit THE JUMP for the box score]