Michigan basketball will be without two rotational players when it commences in the NCAA tournament.
Sophomore forward Sam Walters (back) and freshman point guard Justin Pippen (concussion protocol) did not accompany the Wolverines to Denver for their Round of 64 contest against UC San Diego on Thursday at 10 p.m. (TBS), as reported by a program spokesman to the Free Press.
This is an updated examination of Michigan’s injury report for the game versus the Tritons, who secured the Big West championship in their inaugural season of Division I postseason eligibility.
Injury report for Michigan basketball regarding the March Madness matchup vs UC San Diego
Walters, a 6-foot-10, 200-pound transfer from Alabama, has been out from U-M’s last 10 games due to a lower back injury sustained during the Wolverines’ away victory on February 8 against Indiana. Walters has participated in 23 games, averaging 12.7 minutes and five points per game, with a shooting percentage of 36.6% from beyond the arc on over three attempts per game (26-for-71).
Pippen, the progeny of NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, entered concussion protocol last week in preparation for U-M’s Big Ten tournament championship pursuit. A 6-foot-3, 180-pound guard from Los Angeles, Pippen participated in 28 games this season, averaging 6.6 minutes per game.
He primarily participated in games for brief intervals, mainly to allow Tre Donaldson a respite, however he contributed some depth to the backcourt despite averaging only 1.6 points per game on 27.3% shooting from the field. Pippen achieved an assist-to-turnover ratio of nearly two to one (16-to-9) and recorded a career-high of 10 points versus Purdue Fort Wayne in late December.
Despite U-M’s constrained backcourt, a positive development is that fellow freshman L.J. Cason has begun to demonstrate significant improvement over the past week. He accumulated eight points, exclusively in the second half, during U-M’s 59-53 victory over Wisconsin in the Big Ten tournament championship game.
Roddy Gayle Jr., who briefly exited the game due to a left hamstring strain, is cleared to play.
