Michigan basketball's Jaelin Llewellyn celebrates with team after ACL surgery
When Michigan basketball celebrated Wednesday's 79-69 victory over Penn State, it was the second win of the day for the program.
The first was good news from the hospital: Point guard Jaelin Llewellyn, a senior transfer from Princeton, underwent surgery on his torn ACL earlier in the afternoon.
“He’s one of our family members, and that’s one of their brothers who is going through a tough time right now," U-M coach Juwan Howard said after the game. "It’s very important for us as a group and as a family that we support a young man who is going to go through a difficult stretch, who wants to be out there on the floor, but unfortunately, this season got cut short. The road to recovery starts today.
"Knowing Jaelin, he’s as disciplined and as mature as it comes, so he’s going to do what’s right and what’s asked when it comes to his rehabilitation.”
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Llewellyn, who was still in the hospital when Michigan (9-5, 3-0 Big Ten) put the finishing touches on its third straight Big Ten victory, had a video conference call with the Wolverines as soon as they reached the locker room to join in their celebration.
Llewellyn averaged seven points, three rebounds and 2.8 assists through eight games this season before suffering the injury in the second half of Michigan's game against Kentucky in London.
"We talked to him right before he went in, right after he came out and we were actually on the phone with him in the locker room right after the game," said understudy-turned-starter Dug McDaniel. "We had our whole team in there to celebrate that win.
"He's a very important part of our team, just having him on the phone, having his presence there with us, I'd definitely say we were playing for him tonight."
The senior already missed the entire 2020-21 season after the Ivy League opted not to play due to the coronavirus pandemic. He then suffered a torn Achilles on his first day back in the gym once COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
When Llewellyn spoke with reporters in mid-December, he was undecided about the next steps in his basketball future, including potentially trying for a medical redshirt.
"I’m just taking every day by day right now," he said.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball's Jaelin Llewellyn parties with U-M after surgery
