Michigan Basketball: 3 players who need to be healthy for March Madness

It’s no secret that the 2019-20 Michigan basketball team has very little depth which means it will need these three players healthy for a deep tournament run.

Losing to Wisconsin at home is a hard pill to swallow. Defense, specifically from beyond the arc, was non-existent in Michigan basketball‘s 81-74 loss to the Badgers on Thursday.

Starters D’Mitrik Trice and Aleem Ford went off from three, contributing seven of the teams 11 makes – shooting 48% to UM’s 30%. From the bench, Micah Potter had one of his best games of the season, scoring 18 points of his own and coming down with seven rebounds.

The Badgers game plan was adjusted for the absence of Michigan’s Eli Brooks, who was out after suffering a broken nose the game prior. The Wolverines were without their second designated ball-handler and the added speed on defense which allowed dribble drives ending in kick-outs and a little added space to avoid getting blown by for a layup.

Offensively, Zavier Simpson ran around like the Tasmanian devil orbiting a Terracotta Army consisting of Franz Wagner, Jon Teske, Brandon Johns Jr., and Isaiah Livers. It wasn’t pretty or cohesive.

Wisconsin took full advantage.

It’s not just Brooks who the Wolverines must have healthy to orchestrate a few victories – or maybe more – in the tournament that will be here in just a few weeks. Michigan basketball has demonstrated that without some key pieces, they tend to fall apart as witnessed during the four-game losing streak back in January.

Who are those key pieces?