The Michigan Wolverines' basketball team will play at Nebraska on Christmas Day at 6:00 PM ET.

The Michigan Wolverines’ basketball team is in the midst of an odd scheduling quirk, with the club not having played since its 62-58 win over Penn State Dec. 13. U-M’s next game will take place at Nebraska Christmas Day at 6:00 PM ET, despite the fact collegiate basketball teams have seldom played on the annual holiday in the past.

Senior forward Isaiah Livers admitted he was a bit frustrated with having to play on Christmas Day when last asked about it, but whistled a different tune this afternoon while speaking with the media.

“At first, I said I wasn’t too excited about it but now I’m changing my stance and I’m excited,” he revealed. “Not a lot of guys can say they’ve played that day; I feel honored to be one of the few teams playing on Christmas.

“Hopefully we can bring back a victory … that would be our biggest present on Christmas Day. I talked to Coach [Juwan] Howard and he talked to the team about it as well. It’s something I’m looking to add to my long list. [Christmas Day being reserved for the pros] was my first stance, but then Coach Howard said we might as well start early.”

The matchup at Nebraska will be Michigan’s first road game of the year, though there won’t be any fans in attendance. Despite the Cornhuskers’ immense struggles in recent years (losing seasons in four of the past six years), Pinnacle Bank Arena has actually been viewed as one of the more raucous environments in the Big Ten, thanks to its enthusiastic fan base that creates an intimidating atmosphere.

“It’s just the sense of being uncomfortable in another arena,” Livers explained when asked about the difficulties of playing on the road. “Some guys can feel uncomfortable in a different setting.

“Fans have some to do with it, but it’s about being in another person’s territory. I’ve always personally loved road games, because it shows how good of a team you’ll be. No fans on the road will be the weird part — I haven’t experienced that yet.”

Another metric that defines a team’s mental toughness is how it performs in tight games. The Wolverines have been perfect in such affairs so far this season, grinding out an overtime win over Oakland Nov. 29 before picking up the aforementioned 62-58 victory over the Nittany Lions that came down to the final seconds.

“Resolve [is the main thing we’ve learned about ourselves],” Livers noted, discussing how U-M’s two narrow wins. “There will be a lot of close games against teams you expect to play tight, and then some you don’t.

“I’m glad we got tested early, because you learn what kind of team you are in those. We clawed back and got the W against Penn State by any means necessary. As long as we come out with a win, we’re ok with it.”

The 6-0 start has allowed Michigan to climb into the nation’s top 25 of the Associated Press Poll, jumping six spots from No. 25 to No. 19 in this week’s update. The Maize and Blue actually rose six notches without having played, leapfrogging Duke, Florida State, San Diego State, Louisville, Clemson and Ohio State in the process.

“I didn’t even know we were ranked,” Livers laughed. “I try not to have anyone worry about that and to just stay focused. We always start out disrespected or have people overlooking us, so we show them who we are by playing games.

“We just have to keep playing the same way we have been.”

Notes

• The loss of fifth-year senior forward Austin Davis to injury hasn’t been felt significantly in games quite yet, with freshman center Hunter Dickinson having performed beautifully in his expanded role.

An injury to Dickinson prior to Davis’ return could potentially be disastrous though, with Michigan being quite thin at the center spot.

“An experienced vet not being out there [is what we’re missing in Davis’ absence],” Livers said. “He sets great screens, runs, talks and helps Hunter and [junior forward] Brandon [Johns] at the five spot.

“We’re a little short on big guys without him in there. T-Will [freshman forward Terrance Williams] has done great filling in and don’t be surprised if [redshirt junior forward] Jaron Faulds gets in there against Nebraska because he’s been playing great in practice as well.”

• Sophomore guard Franz Wagner has gotten off to a bit of a slow offensive start this season, only averaging 9.5 points through the club’s first six games.

“We’re going to need him because he’s a big part of this run we want to make,” Livers exclaimed. “When he’s aggressive, he makes plays and can shoot it. A guy out there attacking with the rest of us makes us hard to guard.

“Franz has been working hard and watching film, and figuring out where he can get more shots in. It’s about transition — he’ll attack in transition and use a lane when he can drive.

“People have drawn a few charges on him, so he’s really working on when to go get a bucket and when to pass it. He’s a smart player and will figure it out. We’ll see the Franz everyone has been looking for against Nebraska.”

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