It had been 307 days since junior Brent Petway last donned his maize and blue No. 23 jersey in Crisler Arena.

But it didn't take long for Michigan fans to remember how he could affect a game.

In Saturday's win over Purdue, Petway entered the Wolverines' lineup six minutes into the first half. Two minutes later, the 6-foot-8 forward brought the Crisler crowd to its feet.

Senior Daniel Horton dribbled to the left side of the court while Petway brought the Boilermaker guarding him up to the right wing. Then, freshman Jerret Smith set a back screen, and Petway cut to the basket. Horton lobbed the ball to Petway, who threw it down with a familiar tenacity.

"It was pretty much a dream play," Petway said. "I got the alley-oop play, and it worked. I didn't think that (Horton) was going to throw it at first. It was great to hear the crowd chant, 'Air Georgia.' "

Coming off a sophomore campaign in which he averaged seven points and five rebounds a game, Petway looked to improve on last season.

But on Oct. 8, the team declared Petway academically ineligible for the first semester. The announcement left the junior to watching his teammates race out to a successful 10-1 record.

"Sitting (was the hardest part)," Petway said. "(I wasn't) even in uniform, so I didn't even have a chance to check into the game."

Even though Petway ached to get back on the court and contribute, he took advantage of his time on the bench. He learned more about the intricacies of basketball strategy and the Michigan offense.

"I was able to study the game," Petway said. "Now, when I'm on the bench, I'm a student of the game. I can see what's going on in the game and where I can have more of an impact."

Petway returned to action when the Wolverines traveled to Bloomington to face then-No. 16 Indiana. He waited behind in Ann Arbor until he got official word that he could once again suit up for Michigan. He then flew to Bloomington with several assistants who had stayed behind and arrived an hour and a half before tipoff.

He registered just two points in his first action of the season, Petway looked remarkably more comfortable in the cozy atmosphere of Crisler Arena last Saturday.

During pregame warmups, he entertained those who had trekked to the arena early, performing a variety of slam dunks. In the game, he scored seven points in 14 minutes, in a performance that included two ferocious dunks.

Although the junior may feel the pressure to make up for lost time, he knows that he can't jeopardize Michigan's season with his personal stat line.

"You can't do that, because you start hurting the team," Petway said. "You just have to stay within yourself. I just have to come in and energize the team like I did before."

The impact of Petway's return isn't lost on his teammates.

"We love when he's on the floor giving us energy," sophomore Ron Coleman said. "He always brings a lot of energy to the game. He's always on the backboard getting rebounds and dunking, and that helps us out a lot."

With Petway back, Michigan coach Tommy Amaker can utilize a much deeper frontcourt. The junior's return also allows Coleman - who played as a forward in Petway's absence - to rotate back to his natural guard position.

Playing in a Big Ten ranked first in the nation in nonconference winning percentage, the Wolverines have entered what will be a dogfight for the rest of the season.

And they're glad that Brent Petway can pull on a No. 23 jersey in place of his collared shirt.