The Michigan Wolverines have been reeling so far in the 2021-2022 season, falling out of the top 5 in the early season polls all the way to unranked with a 7-6 record, in serious danger of missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in years and the first time under head coach Juwan Howard.
On Monday, January 17, Assistant Coach Phil Martelli gave an update on the state of the team heading into their showdown with Maryland at the Crisler Center that was published on the YouTube channel of The Wolverine magazine.
In the 25-minute-plus chat, Martelli touches on hot topics leading up to the game, including the status of Zeb Jackson, the talented point guard who hasn’t played in a month (his last performance came against Southern Utah on December 12th, when he scored 8 points in an 87-50 Wolverines victory.
It seems as though Jackson’s status with the team going forward is still up in the air. Despite his immense talent, he hasn’t consistently put things together during his time in Ann Arbor.
“He’s just working through some things, getting all the support from the coaching staff, from the personal on campus,” Martelli said, “and making sure again, he’s in a good place mentally to rejoin the team, if that’s what’s best for him.”
As for Dickinson, who was named as one of ten semi-finalists for the sport’s most prestigious individual player award, the Naismith Trophy, his health is still a concern heading into Tuesday night’s game against the Terrapins, as is Johns, Jr.’s.
According to a report from Mlive.com, the two key cogs in the Michigan machine are likely to be game-time decisions.
Both players were held out of the Illinois game as a precaution due to contracting COVID-19 prior to the game.
“A lot will be based on how they respond and how much they can get into live action today,” Martelli said in the aforementioned video conference call, which can be seen below.
“Their long-term well-being will be the determining factor.”
Check out the full video below courtesy of The Wolverine, and let us know if you think Michigan has what it takes to turn it around for the remainder of the season in the comments section of this article.
