Here's how Michigan basketball plans to honor Michigan State shooting victims

Michigan basketball players, for the second time in less than three months, will wear unique pregame warmups over their uniforms to honor victims of gun violence on their opponent's campus.

A gunman opened fire on Monday evening at Michigan State University, starting in Berkey Hall before he continued into the student union. He killed three students; Arielle Anderson (junior), Alexandria Verner (junior) and Brian Fraser (sophomore), and critically injured five others; one of whom has been moved to stable condition at Sparrow Hospital in Lansing as of Friday morning.

"Right now it's not about the sport, it's about life," Wolverines head coach Juwan Howard said on Friday. "Unfortunately there were those lost during this tragedy and it hit home, hit very close to home for us. It didn't hit on our campus, but Michigan State, knowing them very well ... you just understand that life is so precious.

"This is not easy, it's a tough one we are all dealing with and I say we all because our heart goes out to the Michigan State family and also more importantly, condolences to the families of the lost ones. This is not one of those where you think about the sport, you think about people."

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The Wolverines have extensive plans to honor MSU's victims at Saturday's game in Ann Arbor (8 p.m., Fox), though remembrance began earlier this week. On Wednesday, more than 1,000 people attended a vigil held at the Diag in Ann Arbor simultaneously as one was held at The Rock in East Lansing.

U-M women's basketball coach Kim Barnes-Arico and her players wore MSU shirts with a heart over their uniforms for their Thursday game against Indiana. The Michigan men's team will also wear new warmups and 2,000 members of the "Maize Rage" student section have been given special T-shirts for the occasion.

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The U-M pep band will play MSU's alma mater and there will be a moment of silence prior to the game during which Crisler Center will be lit in green and white. Until Thursday, it was unclear if the game would even take place.

"Yes, sports do help a lot of ways of getting that therapy you need to help and try take your mind away from what just happened," Howard said. "After talking to Michigan State, their AD and talking to Warde (Manuel), they decided they want to play this weekend and it will help them get through it.

"If they'd said, 'no we want to cancel,' I would've totally understood out of respect to everyone."

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Unthinkably, this isn't the first time this season Michigan's basketball team has had this helpless feeling as a school grieves in the aftermath of senseless gun violence.

On Nov. 30, Virginia came to Crisler Center for its first basketball game after a former football player shot and killed three classmates, all on the Cavaliers football team. One of the victims, D'Sean Perry, was close with the Howard family; he played with Jace and Jett at Gulliver Prep in Florida.

Juwan Howard helped the Perry family with the funeral expenses.

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"What happened with the University of Virginia on their campus and knowing one of the players that were killed," Howard said Friday, "knowing the mom and dad, that one (also) hit really, really close to home.

"Now Michigan State is going what they're going through and we all know it's not easy. We're just going to be there and support like we've been from day one but at the same time."

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: How Michigan basketball plans to honor Michigan State shooting victims