Immovable Man

Juwan Howard.

Illinois is coming up in basketball.  It is probably the biggest event in Michigan (men's) sports since the football team pooped-out.  I am anxious to see the outcome.  I may even watch.

A while back I tuned in for 20 minutes of the Wisconsin game.  I was aware that they had won some improbable games--I watched the boxscores.  Then I watched the second half.

Will Tshetter is terrible, you can see it in the stats and the game.  Joey Baker, generally speaking, same goes.  Jace Howard is aware and can spell a guy, but his minutes or contributions have never increased.  Terrance Williams, he too was better as a 5-minute guy off the bench.  Tarris Reed, he of recent fame, looked awfully slugish and immobile to me.

Michigan won the game on a lucky play.  Wisconsin is nothing to write home about.  Still, Michigan could have won in regulation and did win in overtime with three players.

Hunter Dickinson has been the go-to guy since he arrived.  Last season was depressing all-around.  Michigan basketball is going to be lost next year without Dickinson regardless how many freshman or transfers they bring in.

Dug McDaniel--this was my first look and I'm a big fan of top of mind reactions--is capable and much needed as a ballhandler.  Against Wisconsin he had zero assists and rebounds.  He has some hot dog.  He is lucky to be in the spotlight and playing big minutes.  He is young and inexperienced but overall, is is doing okay in an important role.

Last of the three players, in no particular order, is Kobe Bufkin.  Someone has to shoot when Dickinson is triple covered.  Like I say, first impressions--when I turned on the game Bufkin was diving for a ball, a player, and the floor for no particular reason.  He takes a lot of bad and very quick shots. Quick checks boxscore again--he had some rebounds, assists, and steals against Wisconsin.  I think he is a very good all-around player, but this is just his first year of extensive minutes.  Like McDaniel, there is no evidence yet he can handle different teams, defenses, and all the rest that goes with playing in the NCAA tournament.

Dickinson is simple.  Don't even mention being confined or limited, he has improved everything from his motivation to game.

There you go.  That is the Michigan basketball team in 300 words or less.  They still play hard and win.  Now they are in second place in the Big Ten and with a strong finish against Illinois and Indiana...  They could win a couple games in the tournament (and in the Big Ten tournament).

Sorry, then there is more of the Howard family, Jett.  Right.  Good call. A real memorable addition to Michigan basketball lore.  Everything I have read is that he is going to be a NBA lottery pick or at least a first-rounder; when that happens, you go.  I can't even remember the names of the two from last year.  Everything else I have read about Jett Howard is that they run a lot of plays for him and he is a capable scorer while the rest of his game, especially defense, is terrible.  I cannot write positive things until I see them.  The team has had their biggest wins, including Michigan State (he played, injured, 23 minutes), without him.  He was 1/7 3-point shooting. 

Illinois is apparently without their point guard.  They are 4.5 point favorites.  I saw an unusually confident preview:  bet the under, it is going to be a slow, grinding game.

I was hoping they would lose.  Juwan Howard is violent, into BLM, looks out only for his sons, and is obsessed with foreign one and dones who are upset because of the lack of NIL money.

The problem is that he is a good basketball coach.  Some players respond to him.    Quite a few others have left.  He can recruit the very best players but he cannot build a stable roster; each year is a risky, win or lose rebuild. He is an excellent playcaller and X's and O's coach.  Somehow the team remains above .500 and in the NCAA Tournament.

In Howard's first year Michigan had Livers, Teske, and Simpson and the team was decent.  In his second, Dickinson filled in and Davis stayed; Franz Wagner turned into one of the best Michigan players in the last ten years; Smith and Brown were perfect fill-ins; Livers (injured) too; the team was excellent.  Last year, Howard's third and 19-15 was ugly and without promise.

This season isn't over.  They have all survived.