Michigan guard Jaelin Llewellyn receives medical hardship waiver, will return for 2023-24 season
Michigan Wolverines basketball graduate guard Jaelin Llewellyn has received a response from the NCAA regarding his medical hardship waiver, which has been granted, giving him an extra year of eligibility in 2023-24. He is all set to return to the team, according to a program spokesman.
Lllewellyn, a transfer who joined Michigan ahead of last season, tore his ACL in early December, played in eight games for the Wolverines before going down Dec. 4 against Kentucky in London. He underwent surgery in January. Per NCAA rules, he qualified for the waiver since the injury came in the first half of the season and he played in less than 30 percent of U-M’s games.
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Llewellyn started all eight games at point guard, averaging 7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest. He scored in double figures twice, against Eastern Michigan (12 points) and Ohio (10).
At the end of last season, head coach Juwan Howard discussed Llewellyn’s impact on the team even without being able to play.
“Jaelin has been great,” Howard said. “It’s nice to see that he’s staying around the guys and around the team. Everyone loves him. He’s such a smart guy, but he’s also such an all-in kind of person. That’s nice to see.”
Michigan freshman guard Dug McDaniel filled in at the starting point guard spot after Llewellyn’s injury. The 5-11, 160-pound Washington D.C. native posted 8.6 points, 3.6 assists and 3.1 boards in 30.8 minutes per game. He shot 38.4 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from three-point range. He’s one of two returning starters still on the roster, joining forward Terrance Williams II.
Llewellyn was one of the few college basketball veterans on last year’s Michigan roster, and his season-ending injury hurt the Maize and Blue’s fortunes. They missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015, finishing with an 18-16 overall record despite standing tied fifth in the Big Ten at season’s end. They lost to Vanderbilt in the second round of the NIT.
The Wolverines brought in backcourt help from the transfer portal this offseason, adding former North Carolina guard Caleb Love and former Alabama guard Nimari Burnett.
Llewellyn spent four years at Princeton prior to his time at Michigan. He was a two-time All-Ivy League selection (first team in 2022 and second team in 2020), starting 76 career games. He slotted fifth in the Ivy League with 15.7 points per game in 2022, adding 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per outing.
