The Michigan Wolverines’ basketball team will make its long-awaited return to the court this Sunday at Wisconsin, having gone what was nearly a month since its last game. The last time the Maize and Blue took the court was Jan. 22 at Purdue, crushing the Boilermakers 70-53 to improve their record to 13-1 overall and 8-1 in league play.
The pause came at a horrible time for head coach Juwan Howard’s club, who was playing like one of the two or so best teams in the entire country. Howard, assistant coach Phil Martelli and several players publicly voiced their frustrations when the University announced its two-week shutdown, citing a lack of transparency and logic in a decision that seemed to be nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction.
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The Wolverine players have been itching to get back on the court ever since, and will finally have their chance to do so this weekend, albeit in a very tough environment in Wisconsin’s Kohl Center.
“It’s been a process,” fifth-year senior forward Austin Davis explained this afternoon when asked what it has been like getting back into the swing of things. “Two weeks off in the middle of the season can get you out of your flow and out of shape.
“We did a tremendous job with what resources we had at our apartments, trying to stay in the best shape we could. It’s been a progression these last five or six days, ramping up conditioning and getting back into the flow of things.
“We’re trying to be as prepared as we can be for Sunday. Controlling the excitement of getting back will be another aspect we’ll have to focus on. We’ll be amped up to get back onto the court, so getting over that little hump at the start and settling in will be big for us.”
Michigan and Wisconsin already met once this year, with the Wolverines destroying the Badgers Jan. 12 at the Crisler Center in a fashion that simply doesn’t happen to UW’s program since former head coach Bo Ryan took over prior to the 2001-02 season.
The final score was “only” 77-54, but U-M held a 40-point lead at one juncture in the second half. The beatdown was a microcosm of U-M’s season in a lot of ways, beautifully representing the way Michigan has consistently pounded its opponents into oblivion by playing efficient offense and stifling, in-your-face defense.
Unfortunately, the recent two-week layoff could be exactly what could derail the Maize and Blue’s red-hot play, seeing as how no Big Ten foes have been able to do so since late-December (with the exception of Minnesota Jan. 16 in its 75-57 win over U-M at The Barn).
“It’ll be about getting back to what we are as a team, and focusing on the habits and values we have,” Davis noted, when asked how the team is making sure the layoff doesn’t slow down U-M’s roll.
“We’ve reminded ourselves of the habits we’ve been working on since day one of the summer. We’ve been building upon them since then and they’ve become instilled in us as a result.
“Staying true to those will be a strength for us.”
With the NCAA announcing all collegiate athletes can return once again next season if they’d like (including seniors and fifth-year seniors), it’s as if the 2020-21 campaign doesn’t exist in regards to what year an athlete is (sophomores will once again be sophomores next year, redshirt juniors will once again be redshirt juniors, etc.).
That ruling means Davis could return to Ann Arbor in 2021-22 for a sixth season if he’d like to, with the 6-10, 250-pounder being asked this afternoon if that notion is something he’s considering.
“We’re focusing on this year, and it’s been tough with my injury [that kept me out for five games],” Davis admitted when asked about a potential return next season. “I’m just loving this experience with my team and learning every step of the way, because this is something nobody has ever gone through here.
“Again, I’m just enjoying this time with my team right now.”
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