Michigan’s basketball team wore practice uniforms against Illinois on Thursday afternoon for its Big Ten Tournament debut. The scene of the jerseys straight out of your local YMCA or city league gym came as a result of the travel disruptions for the team after yesterday’s scary plane crash. 

The plane carrying the team and traveling party crashed on Wednesday during an aborted takeoff attempt in high winds. According to the school, everyone on board has evacuated safely and the team was rebooked on a flight for Thursday morning, just hours before Thursday’s 75-55 victory vs. Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament.

“John [Beilein] felt that was enough time for the team to get here and prepare as normal as possible, which getting in this morning,” Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel told the Big Ten Network. “Gives them about an hour and a half which is what we normally do.” 

Manuel explained that the jerseys were stuck on the bottom of the crashed plane, unable to be retrieved before the flight to Washington, D.C.. At the time of the interview, he wasn’t sure what jerseys the team would wear but insisted the focus was on celebrating the team’s arrival after Wednesday’s incident. 

“Anything those young men are playing in, I’m going to love,” Manuel said. “Because it’s really a situation where we wanted them to be healthy and safe. They will represent Michigan they are ready to go.” 

Michigan will face Purdue on Friday.