Jon Horford : All posts

Eso Akunne still on the mend, rest of Michigan basketball team healthy as summer begins

The Michigan basketball team is about to start its summer workouts with a clean bill of health.

Except for one member of its roster.

Michigan coach John Beilein said Tuesday that guard Eso Akunne, an Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard graduate, is still rehabbing the foot injury that cost him most of last season -- and as of now, is close to being "shut down" to allow everything to fully heal.

"Eso Akunne is still battling the foot," Beilein said. "(The trainers) are really shutting him down. He's getting better, but it's in a place in his foot that is in a slow-healing spot.

"We've had to sort of shut him down more. ... He was almost there, then he'd go out (and it'd hurt again). There's no rush now."

Notebook: Tim Hardaway Jr. all in for Michigan, Jon Horford healthy and John Beilein talks schedule

Immediately following the Michigan basketball team's NCAA Tournament loss to Ohio last month, Tim Hardaway Jr. emphatically declared he'd be returning for his junior season.

A week later, in an interview with the Detroit News, Tim Hardaway Sr. (currently working as a scout for the Miami Heat) reaffirmed the point, saying his son "wasn't going anywhere."

Just in case anyone hadn't gotten the point yet, minutes after teammate Trey Burke announced his plans to return for his sophomore season, Hardaway told reporters he didn't even seek information with regard to his NBA draft status.

That came as no surprise to Michigan coach John Beilein.

"Not at all," Beilein said. "Tim and I talk about this all the time, and his dad and I talk about it on occasion as well."

Grading the 2011-12 Michigan basketball sophomore class

Tim Hardaway Jr. slumped during January, but found a way to come back to life over the final month of the season.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

The Michigan basketball team's crop of sophomores took a hit last week when Evan Smotrycz announced his plans to transfer from the program.

That doesn't mean John Beilein's sophomore group is lacking.

Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jordan Morgan are major keys to Michigan's future, and if Jon Horford can recover from his foot injury, he may well be adding his name to that list.

A look at how the sophomores fared last season:

Michigan basketball forward Jon Horford officially shut down for the season

Jon Horford's season is officially over.

On Friday, Michigan basketball coach John Beilein said it doesn't make sense to chance putting the 6-foot-10 sophomore forward back into the lineup this late in the year as he continues to recover from a right foot injury.

"We're just working him hard in half court (during practice) and thinking about the future," Beilein said. "I don't think it makes much sense (to play him now).

"It's not fair to him."

Notebook: Tim Hardaway Jr. struggles, but still finds a way, and more Michigan basketball notes

Michigan sophomore Tim Hardaway Jr. was 1-for-7 from 3-point range before hitting a key triple late in Wednesday's 68-56 win against Indiana.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

It was another one of those nights for Tim Hardaway Jr.

Stuck in a shooting rut since the beginning of Big Ten play, the Michigan basketball team's leading scorer missed in just about every way imaginable Wednesday against Indiana.

He missed layups. He missed 3-pointers. He even missed a free throw.

There were a lot of misses, but also one very important make and one very big assist.

Without them, the Wolverines may have been looking at their first home defeat of the season, instead of their 14th straight victory inside Crisler Center.

"It was a walk-in 3, and as a team we try to shoot those type of balls," said Hardaway, who finished with 13 points on 4-of-14 shooting. "I was lucky enough it went in, and then Stu (Douglass) hit another one, which was the dagger."

Michigan basketball forward Jon Horford not cleared to play full court, still not ready to return

The chances of the Michigan basketball team getting sophomore forward Jon Horford back from injury this season seem to be dwindling by the day.

Horford, who has missed 13 consecutive games with a foot injury, has yet to get full clearance from coach John Beilein to play. In fact, the 6-foot-10 big man has not yet been given the go-ahead to participate in full-court practice drills.

"He's going to do some half-court stuff (Tuesday), but doesn't make sense (to put him in the game)," Beilein said. "If he's not healthy and he's not playing well in practice, then we should (think about) saving the year (with a medical redshirt).

"There's nine games left, 10 games counting the tournament. We'll keep watching him, but right now, he can't run up and down the court full speed and play."

Jon Horford's status still up in the air, Eso Akunne injury may create room for Carlton Brundidge

The Michigan basketball team will need all the beef it can get Sunday when it travels to Ohio State.

But it remains unclear whether the Wolverines will indeed get an extra boost in their efforts against the Buckeyes and big man Jared Sullinger.

Michigan coach John Beilein said he planned on running sophomore forward Jon Horford through a full practice Friday, but had no idea whether he’d be able to play in Columbus (1 p.m., CBS).

“Unless (men’s basketball trainer) John DoRosario stops me, we’re trying to go full-go (with Horford at practice) today,” Beilein said. “We may give him a breather here and there, but he’s (rusty).

“We’ve all found out that playing in practice and being on a bicycle or running in a water tank is very different.”

Michigan junior guard Eso Akunne injured at Purdue, Jon Horford elects to stay home

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The Michigan basketball team is now dealing with a pair of injuries.

Junior guard Eso Akunne, an Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard product, left the Wolverines' 66-64 win over Purdue on Tuesday with an apparent leg injury, while sophomore forward Jon Horford once again did not travel with the team.

Michigan forward Jon Horford, originally expected to travel with basketball team, not in West Lafayette

Injured Michigan forward Jon Horford, expected to make the trip to Purdue, did not in fact travel with the team to West Lafayette, Ind., the team confirmed this afternoon.

Horford, a sophomore, hasn't played since mid-December due to a stress fracture in his right foot. This will mark his 12th game sidelined with the injury.

Wolverines coach John Beilein originally indicated Horford would travel with the team to Purdue.

Horford averages 2.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game this season.

Kyle Meinke covers Michigan football for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2588, by email at kylemeinke@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @kmeinke.

Michigan basketball forward Jon Horford will travel to Purdue, has a chance to play Tuesday

There's a chance the Michigan basketball frontcourt could get a boost Tuesday at Purdue.

Michigan coach John Beilein said Monday that injured sophomore forward Jon Horford will travel to Purdue (Tuesday, 7 p.m., ESPN) and has a chance to dress and play in the game.

"He's going to travel with us, he's practiced the last couple days and has been a little rusty, as you would expect," Beilein said Monday. "We'll continue to monitor him and see what he does. He has a good scout team workout today, and before we do anything he's got to show in practice that he's really playing the best he can play."

Michigan basketball forward Jon Horford back to practice, won't travel to Arkansas

Michigan sophomore Jon Horford, who averaged 2.7 points and 3.6 rebounds through nine games before injuring his foot, has returned to practice. Coach John Beilein has not ruled out a medical redshirt season.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

Michigan basketball sophomore forward Jon Horford is on the mend, but he's still not ready to help the Wolverines on the floor.

Coach John Beilein said Friday that Horford returned to practice Thursday after missing the team's previous 10 games with a stress fracture in his right foot.

The 6-foot-10 big man will not travel with Michigan to Arkansas (2 p.m., CBS) on Saturday, though.

"He was OK," Beilein said of Horford's first workout with the team since early December. "He showed a lot of signs of not being in the lineup for a while.

"He'll practice again today, but it takes some time."

Notebook: Michigan basketball team's short-handed frontcourt will have its hands full vs. Michigan State

Michigan's Jordan Morgan, left, and Evan Smotrycz, right, battle Indiana's Christian Watford last week. The Wolverines frontcourt players will have their hands full with Michigan State senior Draymond Green on Tuesday.

AP Photo

Defending Michigan State senior forward Draymond Green is tough enough.

But doing so with one post player sidelined due to injury, one in the midst of his worst slump of the season and another with a history of foul trouble?

Well, that's just not fair.

Michigan basketball gets encouraging news on Jon Horford's injured foot

Jon Horford isn't exactly ready to return to the Michigan basketball team's rotation, but he's not out for the season, either.

Not yet, anyway.

Michigan coach John Beilein said Tuesday that he and his coaching staff received positive news on the sophomore forward's injured right foot following an X-ray Monday, and he's hopeful to have him back at practice soon.

"There's improvement in his foot," said Beilein, whose team will host Northwestern on Wednesday (6:30 p.m., BTN). "This week he's going to be able to start shooting on his own. They're going to do a lot of water therapy and therapy with him just to get him ready.

"This will be the week they'll allow him to jump and do some little things. Next week, we'll see how he feels."

Michigan basketball sophomore forward Jon Horford to have foot X-ray today

The Michigan basketball team could know soon whether or not it will have the services of Jon Horford again this season.

Michigan coach John Beilein said the 6-foot-10 sophomore forward will have an X-ray today on his right foot.

"It has not happened yet," Beilein said this morning on the Big Ten coaches teleconference. "It's just an X-ray today, as a matter of fact."

Jon Horford will travel with the Michigan basketball team to Indiana, but won't play

Michigan basketball forward Jon Horford will be on the bench with his teammates Thursday in Bloomington, Ind.

He just won't be in uniform.

Michigan coach John Beilein said Wednesday that the sophomore big man is likely to miss his sixth straight game with a foot injury when the 16th-ranked Wolverines travel to No. 12 Indiana (9 p.m., ESPN2).

"We're going to do a regular exam on Monday," Beilein said. "I think we'll know where he is.

"But he is going with us (to Indiana). It's important he be there for support and so he gets used to that atmosphere for the future."

Notebook: Tim Hardaway Jr. overcomes woeful shooting with game-changing jumper late against Minnesota

Michigan leading scorer Tim Hardaway Jr., above, scored just seven points against Minnesota on Sunday, but his 12-foot jumper with 35 seconds left essentially iced a 61-56 win over the Golden Gophers.

Chris Asadian | AnnArbor.com

The final minute, though, was something else.

After looking like an all-league player against Penn State on Thursday, Hardaway shot just 2-for-14 from the field against Minnesota.

He missed open shots, guarded shots, layups and even a free throw.

But when the Michigan basketball team needed him the most, he was there.

"I wasn't going to put him in the game if he was going to play 'not to miss,' " Michigan coach John Beilein said. "We mentioned that to him in the timeout. 'You're back in the game, you're open, shoot it in.'

"And he did."

Notebook: Big Ten debut not an issue for Michigan freshman point guard Trey Burke, and more notes

Michigan freshman point guard Trey Burke goes up for a shot against Penn State guard Tim Frazier on Thursday night. Burke had 13 points, seven assists and no turnovers in his first Big Ten game.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

Sure, Trey Burke turned in an impressive non-conference performance.

But this is the Big Ten. It's more physical, it's tougher mentally -- it's just different.

For Burke, Thursday night was just more of the same.

The fantastic Michigan basketball freshman floor leader continued to impress early this season, netting 13 points to go along with seven assists, five rebounds and no turnovers as the 18th-ranked Wolverines ran by Penn State in the league opener, 71-53.

"It's a more physical conference, the refs let you bang more, it's more competitive and the crowd was into it more," Burke said of his first Big Ten experience. "I enjoyed playing tonight.

"I had fun out there."

Michigan basketball forward Jon Horford has stress fracture in right foot, status in question

Michigan forward Jon Horford has a stress fracture in his right foot.

File photo

Beilein said an MRI prior to Michigan's win against Bradley revealed a stress fracture in Horford's foot, leaving him out for the 18th-ranked Wolverines' Big Ten opener Thursday (7:30 p.m., Big Ten Network) against Penn State, and possibly beyond that.

"He will not play (against Penn State), he has not practiced all week, and I don't know what the plan is for next week," Beilein said. "He had an MRI right before the Bradley game, and there is a stress fracture (in the fourth metatarsal of his right foot)."

Where's the beef? Thinning front court could be a big problem for Michigan basketball in Big Ten play

It took 33 seconds last Thursday to show just how concerned Michigan basketball coach John Beilein is about his front court.

Following the Wolverines' first offensive possession against Bradley, sophomore forward Evan Smotrycz was whistled for a foul.

Under normal circumstances, Smotrycz would've had some breathing room to play as long as he could before picking up his second foul.

But these aren't normal circumstances.

"I've sort of made up my mind with him and (forward Jordan Morgan)," Beilein said. "If they get one (foul), they need to come out for a little bit."

Michigan forward Jon Horford week-to-week with potentially serious foot injury

Jon Horford's right foot continues to bother him, and he'll likely not play Thursday when the Michigan basketball team takes on Bradley.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

Michigan basketball coach John Beilein said Wednesday the 6-foot-9 sophomore forward now is week-to-week with a lingering injury to his right foot.

Horford has missed the 20th-ranked Wolverines' past two games due to the injury, and appears likely to miss another Thursday when Michigan hosts Bradley (6:30 p.m., Big Ten Network).

"Jon's foot is still not healed," Beilein said. "And it may (take) longer (to heal) than we expected.

"He'll probably be (evaluated) on a week-by-week basis, he's not going to practice (Wednesday), and whether we'll use him or not (Thursday) in an emergency, we'll wait and see."