Ninth-ranked Michigan had no problem Thursday against Nebraska, claiming an 82-53 victory in Ann Arbor, without junior guard Charles Matthews, though the Wolverines no doubt will be anxiously awaiting the return of its third-leading scorer from an ankle injury.
His absence apparently won’t be as long as briefly feared by Michigan faithful after the school knocked down a report that an MRI revealed significant ligament damage, saying instead that the MRI found no such thing and that Matthews was day-to-day.
While Matthews doesn’t appear likely to be sidelined for long, there was some intrigue regarding him beyond just that balky ankle. The redshirt junior, who transferred from Kentucky after his freshman season, went through senior day festivities for the Wolverines despite the fact that he has a year of eligibility remaining.
That would seem to be a pretty good indication that Matthews will go pro after this season or at least will seriously consider it. He’s averaging 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 43.6 percent from 3-point range. He wouldn’t likely be a sure-fire first-round pick, but as he’d be 23 years old by the time next season begins, a look to the future seems more than reasonable.
First, though, he’ll look to get back on the floor to help Michigan reach a Final Four for the second-straight season.