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The Michigan Wolverines (8-20, 3-14 Big Ten) will visit the Rutgers Scarlet Knights (14-13, 6-10 Big Ten) on Thursday night from the Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, NJ. This game will tip off at 8:30 p.m. EST live on FS1.
The Wolverines sit in last place in the Big Ten standings and have lost five consecutive games. The Scarlet Knights have lost three games in a row and enter this matchup off a 63-46 loss on their home floor against Maryland.
Michigan vs Rutgers basketball injuries
While Rutgers enter this contest with no players on the injury report, the Wolverines limp into this game with a handful of injuries. Here are the injury updates for this Big Ten matchup.
Jaelin Llewellyn, Michigan
Llewellyn missed Michigan's clash with Purdue on Sunday with knee soreness. Llewellyn is listed as questionable for Thursday's game against Rutgers. He has previously had knee troubles last season, playing in just eight total games for the Wolverines after suffering a torn ACL.
Llewellyn has played in 17 games for Michigan this season, starting seven of those games. A concussion suffered earlier this season has caused Llewellyn to miss games on and off throughout the season as well. He averages 5.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists, shooting just under 40% from the field this season.
Ian Burns, Michigan
Junior guard Ian Burns is ruled out for Thursday's game with an undisclosed injury. Burns has played in seven games this season for the Wolverines, averaging 0.4 points.
He last played in a blowout loss against the Illinios on February 13th, where he recorded one point in two minutes off the bench.
Olivier Nkamhoua, Michigan
Tennessee transfer Olivier Nkamhoua is arguably the biggest loss for the Wolverines this season. Nkamhoua underwent wrist surgery and will remain out for the rest of the season.
Nkamhoua is averaging 14.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 51.2% from the field. He was the team's leading rebounder this season and second in scoring behind Dug McDaniel.
In a statement released by the University of Michigan, Nkamhoua would speak on his decision to surgically repair the injury to his wrist, saying:
"Decisions like this are never easy. Playing with this injury became taxing, and we knew something had to be done. I feel like I wasn't able to finish what I came here to do; however, the support and love from the coaches, my teammates, and everyone involved with this program has been so amazing."
Nkamhoua's collegiate career will come to an end with him averaging 8.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in four seasons at Tennessee prior to transferring to Michigan this season.
Cooper Smith, Michigan
Junior guard Cooper Smith is listed as out indefinitely with an undisclosed injury. Smith hasn't played for the Wolverines since February 13th, playing just one minute against Ilinois. There is currently no timetable for Smith's return to the court.
Smith has made 11 appearances for Michigan in two seasons, scoring two total points along with three rebounds and one assist.
Michigan vs Rutgers predictions
This is the second time this season these two teams will meet, with the first matchup on February 3rd finishing as a 69-59 victory for Rutgers.
The Wolverines have lost all hope of any chance at playing postseason basketball. They were able to hang around against No. 3 Purdue on Sunday, but would ultimately fall 84-76.
Michigan's leading scorer, Dug McDaniel, is eligible to return to the lineup tonight after serving a six-game road suspension for failing to meet academic goals. The Wolverines went 0-6 during McDaniel's road suspension and scored just 63.7 points per game over that stretch.
Getting McDaniel back for this contest will be huge for Juwan Howard's team, which looks to end the season on a positive note.
Rutgers enter this matchup as 7.5-point favorites, with the over/under set at 137.5. The Scarlet Knights have lost three games in a row after beating two of the top five Big Ten teams, Northwestern and Wisconsin.
Rutgers has gotten a huge boost from junior guard Jeremiah Williams, who was suspended for violating the NCAA's gambling policy last season. Williams returned to action for the Scarlet Knights on February 3 and would lead them to a four game win streak.
Since then, things have cooled off for Rutgers; however, Williams, along with seniors Aundre Hyatt and Clifford Omoruyi, continue to put up solid numbers.
Dug McDaniel and Jeremiah Williams present an intriguing matchup for college hoops fans, and this game should be a battle led by those two.
The way Michigan was able to keep No. 3 Purdue on the ropes throughout their matchup on Sunday should give them at least some momentum going into this game.
Prediction: Michigan to cover +7.5 points
