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" data-medium-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.michigandaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/jeh.BKC_.vsOhio.11.21.22.0246.jpg?fit=1024%2C683&ssl=1" data-large-file="https://i0.wp.com/www.michigandaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/jeh.BKC_.vsOhio.11.21.22.0246.jpg?fit=780%2C520&ssl=1" /> Graduate guard Jaelin Llewellyn is returning to the Michigan men’s basketball team after being granted a medical hardship waiver for the 2022-23 season, first reported by Maize and Blue Review on Friday.
Llewellyn sustained a season-ending ACL injury on Dec. 4 in the Wolverines’ matchup with Kentucky in London — only the eighth game of the season.
After opting to take a grad year, Llewellyn transferred from Princeton to Michigan to finish out his collegiate career. Adding to a roster that had seen substantial turnover in the offseason with players leaving for the NBA draft or transferring out of the program, Llewellyn was expected to be a veteran presence with ample experience. And while he was during his short stint, his time on the floor was cut short.
In Llewellyn’s absence, freshman guard Dug McDaniel grew to replace Llewellyn’s floor-general role, and will likely continue to see ample playing time next season. It remains to be seen whether the two will play on the floor together, with one transitioning to a more shooting guard role, or if they’ll both remain at the point guard position.
Granted a medical hardship waiver, Llewellyn will enter his sixth season of college basketball. With lots of roster turnover once again plaguing the Wolverines — after the departure of freshman guard Jett Howard and sophomore guard Kobe Bufkin to the NBA draft, and junior center Hunter Dickinson to the transfer portal — Llewellyn will once again provide the experience Michigan will desperately need.