never sell home conference games

THE ESSENTIALS

THE LOCATION

This should've been a Michigan home game. Instead it's a "home" game at Madison Square Garden. While the program has had a lot of success at MSG, winning nine straight there, you usually want the home team to take a bus to the game while the road team flies there, not vice versa.

Because of the neutral site, Rutgers is favored on both KenPom and Torvik. I'm peeved. Peeved, I tell you!

THE US

Seth's graphic, now with CJ Baird Zavier Simpson again [click to embiggen]:

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We have a non-update on Isaiah Livers (injured) regarding his availability.

DeJulius says Isaiah Livers has been practicing a little bit. Says the injury is not nearly as bad as the previous one — but he and the staff are being extra cautious.

— Max Marcovitch (@Max_Marcovitch) January 31, 2020

I remain skeptical Livers is close to returning given the similarities between his first and second injury. Simpson's status doesn't look good; Dotman is reporting on the 247 board that he isn't traveling with the team.

UPDATE: Simpson has been reinstated just in time to travel with the team:

Breaking News from 〽️?

Juwan Howard reinstates senior guard Zavier Simpson#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/NQ3tvTtYC7

— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) January 31, 2020

So that's some good news.

The Nebraska win steadied Michigan's spot in the Bracket Matrix after a bit of a freefall. They're the last nine-seed at the moment and listed on 92 of 98 brackets; critically, they're two seed lines ahead of fellow Big Ten bubble teams Purdue and Minnesota. If the Big Ten gets ten teams in the field instead of the current projection of 12(!), those two are on the chopping block before the Wolverines, at least for the moment.

THE LINEUP CARD

Seth's graphic [click for big]:

[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the preview.]