The Latest On DeVante' Jones' Status

Michigan is taking on Villanova tomorrow and an experienced, savvy point guard like DeVante' Jones would certainly help.

So far, Michigan hasn't necessarily needed DeVante' Jones in the NCAA Tournament as he's been recovering from concussion symptoms. That's not meant to disparage Jones at all, but freshman Frankie Collins has stepped up and facts are facts — Michigan won its first-round game against Colorado State without Jones and won its second-round game against Tennessee with Jones in the locker room for more than half of the contest. Now the Wolverines are in in the Sweet 16 against Villanova and Jones might be back.

"[DeVante'] practiced today and yesterday, so right now he's looking good," Juwan Howard said earlier today. "He's improved a lot with his health. We will know more tomorrow morning as far as how he feels when it comes to recovery as he wakes up."

Jones was made available to speak with the media today, which feels like a good sign that he'll be able to play tomorrow. If he can go, it would help out a lot against Villanova's own experienced guards Collin Gillespie and Justin Moore. Gillespie leads Nova in scoring and assists, while Moore paces the Wildcats in minutes played. Both are experienced, tested and certainly ready for a matchup against Michigan. If Jones can go, he'll be able to bring some of those same qualities to the floor for the Wolverines.

If he can't, it'll be Frankie Collins time again. This is not meant to be a knock on Jones at all, but Collins has grown all the way up over the last two games. He was outstanding against Colorado State as Jones sat out the entire game with a concussion and stepped up again as Jones missed the second half against Tennessee, likely again due to concussion issues after he took a shot to the head. Collins only scored two points against Tennessee but he played 30 minutes, only turned it over twice against a team that pressures guards in a major way and once again, pushed the tempo and dished out two nice assists. If Jones can't go tomorrow, there's no need to worry. That is great for a team's confidence and preparation.