The Michigan men’s basketball team has reinstated senior point guard Zavier Simpson following a one-game suspension, coach Juwan Howard announced on Friday.
“After speaking with (Michigan athletic director) Warde (Manuel) before today’s practice and after my media availability, we agreed to lift Zavier’s suspension,” Howard said in a statement. “I am looking forward to moving on from this. Anything further will continue to be handled within.”
The freshman wing took a team-high 15 shots in 25 minutes, scored 18 points, tied his season-high with eight rebounds and added three steals.
What’s more important, though, is how he reached that statline. Before Tuesday, more than half of Wagner’s shots against conference opponents came from beyond the arc. Michigan coach Juwan Howard is relentless in encouraging his players to let it go when they’re open, but there also seemed to be times when the 6-foot-9, long-armed Wagner could be taking advantage of matchups in other ways.
Against the Cornhuskers, he was more than a spot-up shooter. And when the Wolverines needed him to do it all, that’s exactly what he did.
Two months ago, when the Michigan men’s basketball team looked at its upcoming Big Ten schedule, a midweek trip to Lincoln probably didn’t ring any alarm bells.
LINCOLN — What do you do when your most comfortable state is upended? When all sense of familiarity is thrown out the window?
LINCOLN — It was decidedly different from the Michigan lineup that’s shown up most of this season, and decidedly different from the fast-paced, physical style of play that has become a trademark of the Wolverines this season.
It’s been six days to forget for the Michigan men’s basketball team. First, the Wolverines lose two straight home games this week — totaling four straight losses — and star forward Isaiah Livers goes down with another injury Saturday.
While the details of the suspension are still unclear and coach Juwan Howard is keeping the details in-house, Simpson will be sitting out Tuesday’s game at Nebraska. The Wolverines’ identity is crumbling before their very eyes, they’re seemingly losing their composure. But their season isn’t over yet.
The Michigan men’s basketball team has suspended senior point guard Zavier Simpson for one game, coach Juwan Howard announced on Monday.
In the final minutes of Michigan’s heartbreaking 64-62 loss to No. 21 Illinois at home on Saturday, the Wolverines missed five straight free throws in the final three-and-a-half minutes of the game.
Isaiah Livers shouldn’t have been in the game. In fact, for over half of it, he wasn’t.
But despite suffering another injury in the second half, Michigan knew who it needed on the floor.