Michigan Basketball: Derrick Walton Jr. Better not be Out for Long

Michigan basketball’s Derrick Walton Jr. missed the second half of the N.C. State game with a sprained ankle. This better not be too serious.

Michigan is sitting at 5-2 right now with three consecutive wins, including road victories against Texas and N.C. State. To be fair, the Wolverines beat Texas in the Bahamas, so everyone was away from home.

John Beilein has his crew off to the start we pretty much expected. What this team can’t afford though is another serious injury to one of its main contributors.

Derrick Walton Jr. went down to grab his ankle with just under three minutes to play in the first half of Tuesday’s 66-59 win over the Wolfpack, and the Wolverine faithful collectively held their breath as he headed to Michigan’s bench for the remainder of the game.

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Beilein after the game called the injury “a slight sprain” and said it doesn’t look like a long-term injury.

“I don’t know how long (he’ll miss),” Beilein said. “There is a sprain there, so we’ll have to wait and know more probably before the game on Saturday.”

Walton was banged up last year with a toe injury that ultimately made him miss the final 12 games of the season. His absence, along with Caris LeVert, sent Michigan into a downward spiral that it never recovered from.

The good news is it’s not a second injury to that toe. It’s not like we should rejoice an ankle injury (because ankles are important to people running around), but there’s at least that working for him.

Michigan hosts Houston Baptist on Saturday before traveling to No. 22 SMU the following Tuesday.

It’s probably too early to tell whether Walton will be ready to fire by then, but there’s absolutely no point in rushing this recovery. Michigan used its roll players, who were developed in his absence last season, to take care of business against N.C. State, and their production would be enough to stay competitive for the next week.

My fear is that Walton comes back and (whether he rushes it or not) has to deal with a lingering ankle injury. The Wolverines can’t afford to be working behind a half-operable point guard again. It’s not going to work.

Compounding the (hopefully) brief loss of Walton is Spike Albrecht’s inability to stay on the court for long periods of time. He’s coming off two hip surgeries and is clearly still trying to work his way back into the game flow.

It’ll be Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman who takes on most of the responsibilities, and Beilein probably won’t have a problem with that. Abdur-Rahkman defended N.C. State star Anthony Barber very well and finished the night with 4 points, 4 rebounds and a steal.

“Muhammad-Ali did a wonderful job of just staying with Barber, using his quickness, and keeping him from getting the ball in spaces he likes it,” Beilein said.

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Michigan is in much better shape this season to deal with injuries, but losing Walton for a second time would be bad news for a team that depends so heavily on him.