Jaelin Llewellyn jabbed right and cut left along the baseline after passing to a teammate who was positioned just outside the block. Regaining possession of the ball in midair, he leaped beneath the hoop, avoided a defender’s touch, and finished with a layup off the backboard.
A clever play that went unnoticed late in the first half of Michigan’s victory over Wisconsin on Wednesday was nevertheless something to be proud of.
It’s amazing that 6-foot-2 guard Llewellyn, who will turn 25 in May and is in his sixth year of college, is still playing in Michigan’s game against Kentucky on December 4 in London, despite tearing the ACL in his left knee last season. After undergoing surgery a month later, he was back on December 2, nearly a year after the injury, having missed the first eight games of the season. His role has grown lately, particularly when the starting point guard, Dug McDaniel, is unable to travel.
All of this wasn’t certain while Llewellyn recovered from his knee injury under the guidance of trainer Chris Williams. The two of them bonded over barbecue and shared a love of sitcoms like ‘Trailer Park Boys’ and ‘I Think You Should Leave’. They overcame Llewellyn’s rage and irritation, which were occasionally unavoidable during the healing process—particularly in the later phases when daily progress was negligible.
He gradually made his way into games and practise contact drills. In addition to playing 22 minutes off the bench against Wisconsin, he is expected to start for the fourth time on Saturday at Nebraska (6:30 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network).
Regarding his journey over the previous year, Llewellyn recently stated, “It’s definitely been challenging at times.” All I’m attempting to do is regain my confidence and rhythm. For me, the process has taken a while. I’m just making an effort to be upbeat.
Llewellyn has been burdened harder in away games due to McDaniel’s circumstances. The institution suspended McDaniel due to scholastic misconduct. A source claims that a January ban was on the table during his hearing. McDaniel, head coach Juwan Howard, and other team members were not given the choice to select from a list of possible sanctions. Rather, the university made the decision that McDaniel would not play in any road games during the winter term.
The first match took place in Maryland on January 11. Llewellyn played 33 minutes that night after playing just seven minutes in the three games prior. The following game, he played at home for barely one minute. He played for five, then thirty-eight minutes.
He acknowledges that playing more makes it simpler to enter into the flow of a game, but he accepts that things change. He declared, “I’m ready for anything the coaches want.” “I just want to do everything in my power to help the team win.”
In their past two away games, on January 23 against Purdue (16 points) and one week later at Michigan State (18), he led the Wolverines in scoring. Despite making 15 of his 38 three-pointers, or 54% of them, he hasn’t looked like the player he was before the injury. Having committed three turnovers against Wisconsin, he leads the team in turnovers and has more than doubled it from any of his prior college seasons. With a brace on his leg, it’s obvious that he isn’t quite as swift or explosive as he once was.
“After the Michigan State game, I think it’s a little bit of— I might get tired,” Llewellyn remarked. “I lose a little bit of my legs when I’m tired, so I have to slide around hedges and other obstacles when playing defence.”
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He claimed that although he is not quite well, there are moments when he feels like himself again. “I believe that I will be at my best when I have the confidence to take off the brace.”
Without McDaniel, Michigan has dropped its last three away games, but prior to Wednesday’s victory, they had also dropped their previous five home games. With Michigan’s record of 8-15 overall and 3-9 in the Big Ten, the loss has further complicated Llewellyn’s recovery.
Llewellyn attended Princeton for his first four years of college, although he only participated in three seasons of basketball since the COVID-19 outbreak forced the Ivy League to postpone its 2020–21 season. Despite playing in just eight games before to the knee injury, he was granted a medical redshirt for the previous campaign.
Howard is aware of Llewellyn’s immense efforts to return to the Michigan court.
Howard remarked, “The guy is just grinding, grinding.” “I admire him and the way he’s handled himself during his recuperation. He will give it everything he has every time he gets onto the floor, regardless of the job or the number of minutes.
Against Wisconsin, Llewellyn played 13 minutes compared to McDaniel’s nine, and Michigan managed to stave off its usual halftime slump.
McDaniel might be back for the final two games during the school’s spring break, but he will probably miss the next three away games (Nebraska, Tuesday at Illinois, and Northwestern). But Llewellyn has prepared himself by putting in the work to be ready whenever and wherever he is required.
