Michigan redshirt junior Charles Matthews could play Sunday at Maryland, but the decision is up to him.
Matthews missed Thursday's Michigan win over Nebraska, an 82-53 shellacking, with a minor ankle sprain. ESPN reported Matthews as having "significant ligament damage" on its broadcast last night, but U-M officials quickly debunked the report, insisting Matthews was "day to day" with a sprain.
Head coach John Beilein reiterated that Friday.
“It's very slight, so we're hoping to have him back,” Beilein said Friday. “But as you know, we've had times where we thought Caris LeVert was going to play the next day and he didn't play the rest of the year.
“There are a lot of things that go on to any type of ankle sprain. We've done all the tests, and we're hoping he's going to come back real soon, but it's going to be up to him and it's going to be when he's pain free.”
Matthews first turned his ankle early in the Michigan State game while going up for a rebound and coming down on someone's foot. He aggravated it later in the game, and Beilein said it was clear he was never close to 100 percent.
It will be up to Matthews to decide when he returns, Beilein said of his 12.8-points per game scorer.
"What we have to do is make sure that he feels really good about it, and guys have played when they're not completely pain free," he said. "We've got to make sure that he's doing everything for the right reason, because if he's playing on one leg and just trying to be brave, that's one thing. The other thing I think is we've got to be very careful, and you don't set your date when you're coming back. Let your body tell you when you're coming back.
“That's what he's going to have decide, and I think anybody that has an injury is sort of afraid to try it. Everybody would be, and then all of a sudden it doesn't hurt anymore and you can go. In that scenario we completely trust our trainers and Charles to make a decision on that.”
If Matthews can't go, sophomore forward Isaiah Livers will start in his place for a second straight game. Livers finished with a double double in Thursday's win over the Cornhuskers.
Livers held Nebraska wing James Palmer, the league's fourth leading scorer, to 5-of-13 shooting in the win.
"My concern would be you will guard a ‘three' the whole time,” Beilein said. “He’s never really guarded a three except when he’s in for Charles.
“But I sensed excitement in him, really, just watching him get ready. He’s been a four-man, he’s always wanted to play the three-man and we've been trying to work him into that position. So he’s just, ‘Well, now I’m the only guy they’ve got. This is going to be good. … I’m ready.’ ”
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @BSB_Wolverine, @JB_ Wolverine, @AustinFox42, @Balas_Wolverine, @DrewCHallett and @Qb9Adam.
• Like us on Facebook
