Michigan guard Jaelin Llewellyn provides update on rehab, discusses role for next season

Michigan Wolverines basketball guard Jaelin Llewellyn went down with a season-ending ACL injury just eight games into the 2022-23 campaign, throwing a wrench into the U-M season and the graduate student’s college career. Llewellyn, who transferred in from Princeton last offseason, underwent surgery in January and is gradually working his way back into full health.

“I definitely think I’m on my way to getting back out there,” Llewellyn said on the Defend The Block podcast with host Brian Boesch. “I just started getting back on the court in the past couple weeks, and doing stuff, more and more athletic things than just leg raises and stuff I had been doing the past couple months since surgery. It feels good to be moving more. It’s not that fast yet, but I’ll get there.”

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Llewellyn suffered a torn Achilles earlier in his career, and said recovering from major injuries can be just as much taxing on one’s mental state as it is physically. Michigan basketball trainer Chris Williams and his staff have been key in helping him in both regards. He was on the bench for games last season and remained supportive of his teammates, too.

“With our season not ending the way we wanted to, I wanted to be able to put myself in a position to help the team in any way, achieve the goals we set out,” Llewellyn said.

The Michigan guard is going through rehab five days a week and is able to get some shots up on the floor. Even before he was able to do much physically, he was bettering his game.

“Definitely just watching, being able to watch a lot more,” Llewellyn said of how he’s been able to improve even while hurt. “Watching Michigan play and just watching a lot of college basketball, watching NBA. You see the game a bit differently when you’re not out there, and it can be slower and you notice things that you might not have noticed on the court. So just trying to remember those things so I can bring it back into my own game when I step back on that court.”

Llewellyn received a medical hardship waiver this offseason so he can return for the 2023-24 campaign. In retrospect, he’s “grateful” that the injury happened earlier on last season in order for him to be able to come back.

Dug McDaniel, a freshman last season, took over as Michigan’s starting point guard after Llewellyn went down. While there were ups and downs, he showed promise and is the likely starter at the position again next season. Llewellyn, though, can play off the ball, as well, something he did at Princeton.

“I can do both,” Llewellyn pointed out. “At my previous school, we played through our ‘5’ a lot and we did some Princeton offense stuff, so a lot of it is off-ball movement and cutting and screening and getting open, so I’m used to that type of offense.

“I just want to be able to get healthy — that’s the main goal — and then just get out there in whatever capacity is needed from me on the team.”

Jaelin Llewellyn talks Dug McDaniel, Tarris Reed Jr.

McDaniel improved plenty during last season, especially as a shot-maker. He scored in double figures 13 times, including in big victories over Michigan State, Rutgers and Wisconsin in three consecutive February contests.

“He’s definitely grown a lot, and it was fun to watch,” Llewellyn said. “He’s a fantastic player, and I think one of the things I tried to instill in him was just, keep his self-confidence and his swagger. He plays the game with a lot of heart. When he brings that heart to both sides of the floor, it’s really fun to watch.

“I was just trying to fill him with confidence and energy in life, because it can be challenging for a freshman to come in, especially when that’s not how you started the season.”

Another who made big strides is sophomore forward Tarris Reed Jr. He’s slated to step in as Michigan’s starting center this coming season, and Llewellyn is excited to see more time on the court with him.

“He’s a beast on both ends,” Llewellyn began. “And it’s just exciting, because when you have someone that big and that athletic, you make a mistake on the defensive end, and he’s the type of guy who can clean it up at the last second and make those crazy blocks, monster blocks that he does and then go down on the other end of the floor and he has the ability to go up and catch these lobs and dunks.

“He just brings such a high energy and a high motor, and it’s fun to watch. I’m excited to be able to play with him some more.”

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