Michigan basketball forward Isaiah Livers’ season didn’t end as he’d hoped, watching injured from the bench while his teammates made a run to the Elite Eight. While that was painful in more ways than one, he’s more than grateful for his U-M experience.

It started with his bond with former head coach John Beilein, the coach who brought him to Michigan. Juwan Howard left his mark, too, giving him two great mentors with NBA ties to rely on going forward.

“Coach Beilein and I talked right after the season, right after my surgery,” Livers said. “I talked to him about three weeks ago; he called my mom. Coach Beilein is still well knitted in my family. He’s the one that opened the door for the opportunity to come to Ann Arbor, so I’m always thankful for that. He taught me so much about the game, so obviously I’m so thankful for that, too.

“He’s going to be a lifetime friend. He pushed me because he knew what I was capable of. Some days were a struggle, but I’m glad he pushed me through them.”

It was the same thing with Howard, he said. He was there when Livers needed him most.

“He was a huge role model in my life. He was around in my really important years because he was hurt both those years,” he continued. “He was the guy who told me, ‘Control the controllables. There’s no reason to rush back. Just try to give to the team.’

“He really preaches family and sacrifice. The last two years I was injured I did the best I could … I guess now I would say he’s a ‘cheat code.’ I have access to Coach Howard, who played 19 years in the league. He has a lot of knowledge. I used my last years at Michigan to pick his brain, and he was super helpful more than he actually needed to be. It just shows what kind of guy he is.”

He could easily have retired, Livers noted, but he wanted to ‘come back and coach and teach his young wolverines how to be men.’

Both coaches were all about family, one of the reasons there’s been such a brotherhood in the locker room and great culture for the better part of a decade and a half. Livers has relied on former teammate Jordan Poole for advice after the former Wolverine has made a name for himself at Golden State, and he’s confident it’s good.

“Jordan really told me, ‘Don’t rush it. Everyone has your resume; they know what you can do. They love your potential and all that, so there’s no reason to rush back. Make sure you’re at 100 percent, and make sure you’re healthy. You don’t want to come back and out there moving around slow. That’s just going to mess yourself up.’ He told me take my sweet time.”

He’s also spoken with Franz Wagner, expecting great things from the projected lottery pick. He hopes both of them will cross paths for many years in the NBA, and that’s his expectation.

“I’m not really thinking about short term,” he said. “Getting drafted is a priority, but playing in the League is my main priority.

“I definitely want to get on the court my first year. I know I can affect the game and winning. Whatever a coach wants me to do, I can do it. If he wants me to be a shooter, I can be a shooter. I can create. It’s all about gaining that trust with the coach first.”

That starts with getting a good foot in the door, and Livers is close to doing that after breaking it late in the year. He’s got the chance to reward someone’s faith for drafting him, and he can’t wait to get started.

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