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Dickinson, Johns Discuss The Impact Livers' Absence Had On U-M Today

The Michigan Wolverines’ basketball team missed senior forward Isaiah Livers’ presence today in their 68-67 loss to Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, specifically on the offensive end.

U-M shot just 32 percent from deep and only 35 percent for the game, with freshman center Hunter Dickinson finishing as the only Wolverine who scored more than 12 points (21).

RELATED: Michigan Falls To Ohio State In The Big Ten Tournament Semifinals, 68-67

RELATED: Michigan Basketball's Isaiah Livers Out Indefinitely With A Foot Injury

RELATED: Box Score

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Michigan Wolverines basketball's Hunter Dickinson
The Michigan Wolverines' next basketball game will be next week in the NCAA Tournament. (AP Images)

Junior forward Brandon Johns started in Livers’ place, compiling seven points, eight rebounds and a 7-of-8 mark from the free throw line in 24 minutes of action.

“I played decent,” Johns said of his performance afterward. “I’m not happy with the outcome, but as a team we played hard and stayed connected. That helped put me in good spots to get as far as we could.”

The Maize and Blue ended the game on an 11-1 run, and actually had a chance to win on the final possession of the afternoon. Fifth-year senior point guard Mike Smith’s jumper from the top of the key was hard, however, and U-M didn’t have enough time to potentially get off a second attempt as the final clock expired.

“Coach [Juwan] Howard drew up a play the possession before in the huddle, and it was a high ball screen for Mike — everyone else was in the corners or lifted,” Dickinson explained.

“Everyone was confident in the play. If we had to go back, I wouldn’t be hesitant at all with letting Mike shoot it again. We told him after the game we’d have him shoot it again if we had the chance.”

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U-M will next turn its attention toward the NCAA Tournament, finding out who its first opponent will be tomorrow during the Selection Sunday show at 6 PM ET. A damper has undoubtedly been put on the mood surrounding the team as a whole, with Livers’ absence perceivably lowering the club’s ceiling.

Realistic talks of a national title have since turned into murmurs of uncertainty from observers.

“We’re competitors, and if you go into the NCAA tournament thinking you’re going to lose, you’re going to lose,” Dickinson insisted. “It says ‘competitors only’ on the back of our warmup shirts.

“I have the utmost confidence in the rest of the guys to step up. B. Johns, [freshman forward] Terrance [Williams], [senior guard] Chaundee [Brown] and the guys off the bench — it’s possible to put a band aid on this wound.”

The Wolverines’ bench didn’t exactly get the job done today, however, scoring just nine points. Three of those nine came from Brown on a three-pointer at the top of the key with only 48 seconds remaining, which trimmed OSU’s lead to one.

It wound up being too little, too late, though, with the Maize and Blue simply not having enough offensive firepower throughout the afternoon to come out on top.

“Isaiah is a great talent and one of the best players in the country,” Dickinson observed after the game. “Missing him was a big hill we had to climb over, but we did a nice job of next man up mentality.

“We went out there and tried to inspire him, and did our best. We’ll look forward and need to stay connected as a team, and we’ll grow from this.”

“I told him I was going to try and live up to his name as much as I could,” Johns added. “I wanted to match that and bring what I could today. He gave me great advice and talked to me about things I could do better on the court — he’s a great friend, teammate and brother, and has helped me out a lot this year.”

Most of the talk surrounding Livers’ injury has involved the impact it has had on Michigan’s team, but Dickinson provided some perspective on the situation and lamented about the affect it’s having on the senior as a person.

“I can’t even imagine what he’s going through,” the freshman said. “He decided he was going to come back for his senior year and has put in the work, coming into practice an hour early all the time. For it to end this way for him…

“This was something he really wanted to play in, so I feel terrible for him not to be able to play in his last Big Ten Tournament.”

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