Patient Juwan Howard Growing As Coach, Leading Late Surge By Young Michigan Players Learning To Win

A month ago, faceless, digital critics were calling for Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard to be terminated.

Are you serious?

Sure, the Wolverines struggled in crunch time.

They dropped big non-conference and Big Ten contests they should have secured.

Their place among the game’s blue bloods was fading – fast.

Then, Hunter Dickinson on Sunday hit a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime against the Wisconsin Badgers in a matchup of two teams on the NCAA Tournament bubble.

Howard willed the Wolverines to the 87-79 home win. The outcome could have saved their NCAA Tournament chances.

And their coach’s reputation.

Hero Shot. pic.twitter.com/473jiFr3U9

— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) February 26, 2023

Michigan Coach Juwan Howard Playing Catch-Up This Season

After losing Caleb Houstan (Orlando Magic) and Moussa Diabate (Los Angeles Clippers) to the 2022 NBA Draft, Howard was also forced to bid adieu to key contributors Brandon Johns Jr., Zeb Jackson and Frankie Collins via the transfer portal. The squad’s depth took a major hit.

Houstan is playing for the G League’s Lakeland Magic and Diabate entered Monday’s action averaging 2.9 points per game but remains out of the team’s rotation. Both departed Ann Arbor after their freshmen seasons. Both needed more seasoning.

If Houstan, Diabate and one or two of the veteran transfers had returned, the Wolverines likely would be challenging the Purdue Boilermakers for the regular-season title, not attempting to outrun the NIT.

Howard attempted to fill the voids by adding transfer guards Jaelin Llewellyn and Joey Baker, but Llewellyn is out for the season with a knee injury. Baker was the lone scholarship player honored on Senior Day.

Michigan remains one of the youngest teams in the Big Ten. At times, it showed.

Following narrow wins over undermatched opponents like Eastern Michigan, Ohio, Jackson State and Lipscomb and the devastating Quad 4 loss to Central Michigan, Howard preached patience.

Few had any.

The low point came Jan. 29 at Penn State. The Wolverines’ offense and defense disappeared near the end of the first half. Sparked by five consecutive 3-pointers, the host Nittany Lions went on an 18-2 run and cruised to a 22-point victory.

Howard’s cat calls started in earnest.

Then came Dickinson’s desperation trey.

Big time players make big time plays. pic.twitter.com/jgo0Cwc4E0

— Michigan Men's Basketball (@umichbball) February 26, 2023

Howard’s Patience Is Beginning to Pay Off

Howard was asked about Sunday’s last-second heave, coming off a long in-bounds feed.

“I was looking at the flight of it. All I can tell you, ‘Please go in,’ ” he said with a laugh during the post-game press conference aired on BTN.com. “We’ve been through a lot of pain down the stretch.

“It was nice our guys dug down deep and stayed the course. Been able to get this hard-fought victory.”

With two road games – at Illinois on Thursday and Indiana on Sunday – remaining, a few talking heads suggested the Wolverines need to capture one, if not both, and possibly one Big Ten Tournament win to earn an NCAA tourney ticket.

Maybe, but to say the Wolverines are not among the nation’s top 65 teams entering March has not watched the team’s growth since the Penn State debacle.

Howard has remained patient.

There have been times that the Wolverines played soft, disjointed. They got rattled at the end of close losses to Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina. But over the past three-plus months, Howard has coached this group up. Significantly.

Are the Wolverines a threat to extend their consecutive Sweet 16 trips to six?

Before Dickinson’s desperate triple, few, if anyone, would have predicted it.

But after winning three straight and going 6-2 in February, the Wolverines (17-12 overall, 11-7 conference) are beginning to play tough, fluid.

Few of those faceless, digital critics now express doubt about Howard’s patient coaching style.