Daily Sports Writer

Fifteen games into the season, Michigan basketball coach Tommy Amaker has already used 10 different starting lineups, and it’s hard to characterize the first half of the Wolverines’ season without mentioning the word “injury.”

Three of Michigan’s starters from a year ago — wing Lester Abram, guard Daniel Horton and forward Graham Brown — have missed a combined 27 games already. Abram is out for the rest of the year. And while Horton is back but, admittedly, not 100 percent healthy, Brown — who has been sidelined since the beginning of December after hernia surgery — hopes to return when Michigan battles Penn State on Saturday.

But with wins over two top-25 teams — Notre Dame and Iowa — and an RPI rating of 63, the Wolverines have been able to salvage a season that was full of high expectations. Michigan is 10-5 with 15 games left to play.

“Regardless of who’s in those uniforms, it says Michigan on it.” Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said. “I’ve been extremely pleased with our effort. I think we’ve played hard and passionately.”

While Amaker is pleased with the team’s performance thus far, uncertainty looms going into tomorrow night’s Big Ten home opener against Northwestern.

Junior Chris Hunter, who Amaker called “our best player the second stretch of (this) season,” may not play against the Wildcats, and forward Brent Petway’s status is uncertain as well. Petway injured his shoulder late during Saturday’s game against Fairfield, and Hunter suffered a high ankle sprain last Wednesday against Iowa.

“I’m hoping that we have at least one of them back for Wednesday — hopefully both of them,” Amaker said.

Petway, however, was more optimistic.

When asked if he expected to play tomorrow, Petway said: “I definitely do. I think I’m ready to go. (Today) I should go 100 percent in practice, full contact.”

Horton said he is only at “75 to 80 percent” but should play extensive minutes against the Wildcats.

Like Brown, Horton said being out of action the past month has been painful, but the guard added it has also been a learning experience.

“It was hard not being able to play, but, at the same time, I had to stay in it mentally because I knew it was just a matter of time before I was able to play again,” Horton said. “I’ve never been in a situation where I had to sit out and watch for a month, so I think sitting out and watching it gave me a different perspective of what this team needed. When I came back, it was a lot easier for me to fit in.”

With Hunter, Petway, Brown, Horton and guard Dani Wohl all ailing, Amaker said he cautiously intends to keep the intensity and pace of practice the same but is not cognizant of a player’s possible injury during games.

If Hunter, Petway and Brown do not play tomorrow, Sims and senior J.C. Mathis will play a majority of the frontcourt minutes.

Mathis — who has averaged 6.6 minutes per game this season — scored eight points in 16 minutes against Fairfield.

“(Mathis) is a battler,” Sims said. “He goes to war in practice. We know he can play. He has a lot of post moves and crashes the boards as hard as anybody on the team.”