He might be biased, but former Fab Fiver Jimmy King knows basketball and believes his friend and former teammate Juwan Howard was the best choice to lead Michigan basketball.
Howard takes over for John Beilein, who left for the Cleveland Cavaliers May 13.
“Set everything aside and look at his pedigree,” King said. “He played 20 years in the NBA. He has experience; he has relationships. There are things that you can't buy from what Juwan Howard will bring to this program.
“High school, college and pro, he's the best guy … when it comes to relationships and the past here at the University of Michigan, Juwan Howard fits the bill.”
There have been some reservations about Howard given he’s never been a head coach before, though he has been a highly respected NBA assistant for the last several years. King pointed out that Beilein’s ascent was unconventional, too, in that he’d never been an assistant coach, always a head coach from day one.
As for recruiting, King believes Howard will kill it on the trail. He noted Howard was key in helping recruit the Fab Five to Ann Arbor when he first committed to Michigan.
“I know I'm biased, obviously, but if you look at just his pedigree alone it speaks for itself,” King said. “Aside from him being a former alumnus, a Fab Five member and my former teammate and friend, if you set that aside and you look at the pedigree he has being a high school All-American, being one of the top three players in the country, being part of the Fab Five and leading Michigan to two Final Fours, winning championships at the NBA level, coaching at a high degree … his resume speaks for itself.
“He's a great communicator. He recruited me, Ray [Jackson], Jalen [Rose] and Chris [Webber] and look what he's done … [he will] be able to recruit another prominent team and build a program."
Howard will be officially introduced during a press conference today in Ann Arbor.
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