By Steve Kornacki
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Isaiah Livers had gone back and forth in his mind more times than he could count.
He had entered last season expecting to leave for the NBA Draft this summer. And when Livers scored 21 points against No. 8 Gonzaga in the Bahamas by draining five of eight three-pointers, that belief only became stronger.
But then came the groin injury, followed by the ankle injury and the postseason being called for the coronavirus pandemic minutes before the University of Michigan's Big Ten Tournament opener. Two words immediately came to mind: "Unfinished business."
Still, Livers' head was spinning as the Wolverines drove on a bus from Indianapolis to Ann Arbor back on March 12, when the NCAA Tournament was canceled hours after the conference tourney.
Did he feel he had played his last collegiate game?
"That was a very confusing bus ride," Livers said. "I had my options to do this and to do that. I was literally right in the middle. I didn't think that it was my last game or that it was not."
And so the four-month mental tug-of-war began for the talented, 6-foot-7 forward who stayed in Ann Arbor after getting access to a private gym. Also, he said he was initially allowed to rehabilitate with Wolverine athletic trainer Alex Wong because injuries had not fully healed. Finally, late Thursday night (July 16), Livers had his answer and texted both Michigan head coach Juwan Howard and sports information director Tom Wywrot that he was staying.
"Before I texted them," Livers told MGoBlue.com, "I had peace of mind. It was something I could put to rest, all the questions put to rest. There are weird vibes you feel when you are making a decision like this, you can feel a little bit of the tension. And literally when I typed in Tom's and Coach Howard's names with the Michigan emoji, it felt like I was back 100 percent."
Friday (July 17), Livers went to tell Howard again in person.
"Coach Howard had just the biggest smile," Livers said. "There is something about that man that is just super interesting. His passion for his players -- no one has ever shown as much passion for me as a player. He is all about it, all energetic. I just felt so welcomed. They're kind of sitting in the middle and don't know what's going on, and I went to Crisler (Center) and he was like, 'What's going on here?' But him and the whole staff didn't try to intervene; they let me figure it out on my own. They supported me.
"The unfinished business I felt was the result of the roller-coaster, up-and-down year I had last year. I never had injuries like that in my life. I just feel like I was on a business trip last year. It was no secret, my ambition was to go to the NBA. But getting the injury made me think, 'I don't know how I feel about that.' I heard people say, 'He can do more than that.' And then I realized my business just wasn't finished yet. I still have more to do here in Ann Arbor. And I'm going to be able to get my degree and hopefully major in sociology. That's something I'm really interested in."
What was the tipping point?
"Weighing out the options that I had to go to," said Livers. "I had those options in the NBA but also had options in Ann Arbor. Which one was going to give me more in terms of a long-term career? I just thought that coming back would benefit me the most, giving me another year to show that I'm healthy and that I can play in the NBA. And also, being with Coach Howard and getting my degree.
"That sounded like fun to me. There's a passionate, energized feeling I have about coming back to this team."
Livers (right) wants to be the best leader possible, following in the footsteps of former Wolverines Jon Teske (left) and Zavier Simpson.
Livers, Michigan's Mr. Basketball at Kalamazoo Central in 2017, was entering as a freshman when Moritz Wagner decided to return for his junior season and helped lead the Wolverines to the NCAA championship game. Wagner then passed on his senior season and was drafted in the first round by the Los Angeles Lakers.
"Moe came back ready to go and that's how I feel now," Livers said. "That's kind of how I envisioned it with Moe making that decision to come back then. So, I'm going to follow (that approach) as well."
What feedback had he received from NBA teams?
"Some teams said I'd probably be undrafted," said Livers, who led Michigan with 12.9 points (shooting .402 on treys and .957 at the free-throw line) and added 4.0 rebounds. "There were other teams saying late first round, early second round. So, I heard a lot -- everything outside of being a lottery pick."
He consulted often with his father, Morris Livers, his AAU coach, Damon Allison, and a longtime family friend, Reg Butler. He also spoke regularly with Howard, former roommate and classmate Jordan Poole (who became a first-round pick by the Golden State Warriors after his sophomore year) and others.
"My father is well plugged in and knows guys," said Isaiah, "and knows how it goes. And I had a lot of mentors growing up, like Reg, who got cool with my dad and was training me, and Coach Damon, who is like one of my other dads, a guy who always looked out for me. Those guys know a lot of NBA guys who went through the process and were already in the league. And, of course, Jordan. He got to shake guys' hands going through this decision instead of being on Zoom calls like I did in quarantine. But I wanted to know what he was hearing, for sure.
"Our whole coaching staff at Michigan helped me a lot. Coach Howard did a great job. And I had some outside sources who helped. I thought it was a great experience to go through. It's like a business decision, and it was really cool to see what went into the interviews (with NBA teams)."
Livers has 82 wins in three seasons, averaging 27.3 a year. If this team gets at least 27 wins, he can surpass the program record of 108 career victories set last season by captains Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske.
"There's a possibility of that," Livers said with a chuckle. "Maybe we can get to them."
Livers always has been a leader, but now, along with fifth-year senior center Austin Davis, this is his team to lead.
"I'm going to try to be the best leader possible," said Livers. "I know how Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske led, but I've got to write my own narrative here, taking from what they did while being the ultimate leader. I can be like Zavier, and show my passion instead of hiding it. 'Sleep' (Teske's nickname) was more laid back, chill. But he still consulted with his youngins, wanted to make sure they were good, and was a very good bigger brother to us off the court."
Livers will enter the 2020-21 season with a streak of making 36 consecutive free throw attempts.
"I've always been a good free-throw shooter," said Livers, who has shot .848 from the charity stripe in three seasons. "But last year, it was about finding that focus I had at the foul line, and once you do that, it feels like feeding candy to a baby. It feels that smooth."
Livers said the Gonzaga game, when he teamed with Teske to lead Michigan to an 82-64 win in the championship game of the Battle 4 Atlantis, was his best showing to date.
"It showed a lot of assets to my game," said Livers. "It showed a lot of energy. That entire game, our team wasn't tired. We were ready for that championship and had a goal before we'd even got there."
However, injuries cost Livers 10 games last season and he played many more at less than 100 percent. He's completely healthy now, and was asked what he's looking to improve upon.
"I'm going to say ball-handling," said Livers. "That's something everyone knows that I'm capable of, and not something I've shown. I'm going to be a go-to guy, and going to have to figure out how to keep the ball alive. I have a tendency to pick the ball up. But that's going to be a factor in my game next year. That, and being a leader. I know I've been deemed a leader, but it's also something I've been working on in quarantine time.
"Like I said earlier, it's unfinished business. We've got a lot more to prove. The COVID happening got in the way of what we were going to do, and I'm just glad that I'm going to be able to go at it again in Ann Arbor."
• Livers Set to Return for Final Season in Ann Arbor (7/16/20)
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