Wolverine Watch: Howard Keeps On Hammering
Juwan Howard didn’t rest on an Elite Eight performance — not one second. He’s prepping the next Michigan team to challenge in the Big Ten and beyond.
Not satisfied mixing the nation’s No. 1 recruiting class in with likely returning veterans such as fifth-year senior guard Eli Brooks, junior forward Brandon Johns Jr. and sophomore center Hunter Dickinson, Howard remains the hunter. He’s seeking help for 2021-22 and beyond.
He’s drawn considerable interest from potential guard help for the coming year, including a long look from Coastal Carolina’s DeVante’ Jones. Howard continues to look down the road for the best in the country, like Florida Montverde Academy’s 6-10 Jalen Duren.
Michigan’s head coach not only brings the Xs and Os to the table, he delivers a “cool” factor that can’t be faked, manufactured or purchased.
That’s not likely to change any time soon, according to Detroit radio sports talk host Doug Karsch.
“I think you can expect this to roll over, from year to year, for them to be competitive on a national level from year to year,” Karsch said. “There was little doubt that Juwan Howard would be able to recruit when he came to Michigan.
“There were questions about his Xs and Os. Was he going to be able to be great against the other great coaches in the Big Ten, when it came to his white board, and his substitution patterns, and his out-of-bounds plays with a minute to go in a one-point game?”
Howard answered those questions emphatically over the past two seasons, Karsch insists. Switching defenses, running a sophisticated offense, Howard convinced everyone he could win and win big.
“Ask anybody in college basketball to pick a coach he thinks is going to win the national championship in the next five to 10 years,” Karsch challenged. “Juwan’s name will come up. The only question is, will an NBA team throw truckloads of money at him? But Juwan seems to be about more than money … boy, does he have this program set up to be successful for years to come.”
On the schematic front, Karsch mentioned he has a friend in coaching with access to Michigan’s practices. That friend stuck a needle into the trial balloon of Wolverine haters/Howard marginalizers who tried to slight the head coach by whispering that assistant Phil Martelli remains the design mastermind.
Not so, this observer insisted.
“Juwan was as involved as any of the coaches,” Karsch relayed. “In fact, Martelli was the least involved in the practices that my acquaintance saw. He had his offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator, but Juwan was very hands on, very involved. It was clear it was Juwan’s team and Juwan was running the practice.
“This isn’t a smoke-and-mirrors show. He’s not just a figurehead. He’s the whole package, and I think you can expect Michigan to be competing for Big Ten [titles] … he’ll play a Monday night game. That’s something I feel pretty confident saying.”
Karsch mentioned Howard’s tears at the podium in his introductory press conference. He pointed to the relationships he builds.
The radio host also focused on a huge, magnetic pull, for any young and highly talented basketball player.
“NBA,” Karsch assured. “Juwan’s NBA career appeals to players. [Assistant coaches] Howard Eisley and Saddi Washington help take that torch and run.
“You’re talking about elite high school players that want to go on and have NBA careers. It’s going to be interesting to see how he balances recruiting with one-and-dones and wanting to have program players.
“Your Isaiah Livers of the world and Eli Brooks of the world are still the backbone of what you do. Those are the three stars that, when you recruit them, don’t grab headlines. But you need those guys. You need guys like that.
“Certainly, there are going to be names on a marquee. But don’t forget about the Will Tschetters of every class. Guys like that are the backbone of the program. They might not hit the ground running. They might not ever see the starting lineup. They might play sparingly in their first year, or even two, but become very important when they’re juniors and seniors.”
Just like Brooks, as a rising fifth-year senior for Howard next season. The new boss is seeking the best of both worlds — the highest of high-end talent, along with savvy veterans to steer the ship.
His unspoken message to Michigan fans: you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Here are Karsch’s full comments, on Michigan basketball and football, from the podcast.
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