Report: Rubin Jones set to return for Michigan basketball

Michigan men’s basketball is expected to be closer to full strength this afternoon, as Rubin Jones is reportedly returning to the lineup against Illinois. The home game is is scheduled for 3:45 p.m. Jones has been out with an illness since the Wolverines hosted Michigan State on Feb. 21. 

Michigan’s Rubin Jones to return against Illinois

Averaging 3.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game, Jones doesn’t necessarily fill up the stat sheet, but he makes up for it on the defensive end. Michigan head coach Dusty May said the absence of Jones (and Sam Walters) could prove to be beneficial.

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“We need him back,” May said of Jones after the win over Rutgers Thursday. “It’s going to make us a stronger team later in the season with the tournament, because LJ (Cason) is getting these minutes (and) Will Tschetter is getting extended playing time.”

Cason played 14 minutes against Nebraska and a career-high 26 minutes against Rutgers, respectively. The freshman shot 3-of-13 from the field over those two games, but he’s similar to Jones in that Cason doesn’t need to put up numbers to effect a game. 

Cason is Michigan’s second-best free throw shooter at 82.6 percent, and Tschetter leads the way at 84.4 percent. Against Nebraska and Rutgers, Tschetter played over 18 minutes in back-to-back games for the first time this season. In the win over the Scarlet Knights Thursday, he put up 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field, including 2-of-4 threes.

Roddy Gayle Jr. started the past two games with Jones out, but it’s unclear what the lineup will look like against Illinois. If Jones is 100 percent, he will likely be back in the starting five.

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