Juwan Howard speaks about need for ‘buy-in’ from Michigan players

Head coach Juwan Howard and the Michigan Wolverines went into halftime against Rutgers with a nine-point lead. However, the Wolverines ended up losing the game after a disastrous second half.

While speaking to members of the media after the game, Juwan Howard emphasized how important it is that the Michigan players find a way to buy into what the coaching staff is teaching them.

“Always addressed in practice, man,” Juwan Howard said. “Everything, just take your pick. Everything is always addressed in practice. We have a great staff. We’ve done this before and had success while doing it, but the buy-in has to be reciprocated on the other end as well. When you have the buy-in, that you’re going to do what we practice and apply it, it works. It’s proven that it works.”

At this point, Michigan has lost five straight games and the Wolverines have fallen to last in the Big Ten standings. Still, Juwan Howard emphasized that he knows their process can work.

“One year that was COVID, but that team got healthy, they were going to take the tournament. How far? We really don’t know because the season stopped. The second year the team went to the Elite Eight. Then the third year that team, what? Went to the Sweet 16. This sh*t works. It does.”

There are nine games remaining in the regular season and while winning the Big Ten in the regular season seems to be out of reach, getting hot at the end of the year and making a run during the Big Ten Tournament isn’t. To do that, however, the staff will need to find a way to get the team to buy in.

“We’re going to keep rolling up our sleeves and keep teaching. That’s all I know. That’s all my staff knows,” Howard said. “And we love doing what we do, giving back to these young men, giving to the game, giving to what others have given to us. We will not stop teaching.”

Juwan Howard praises Tom Izzo for reaching 700 wins

Michigan State‘s recent win over Michigan was the 700th in the career of Tom Izzo and after the game, Juwan Howard praised him for the accomplishment and his career.

“That’s not a tough question, that’s an easy question to answer. He is a Hall of Fame coach, he’s an example of what a lot of us coaches are striving to become, and with the success he’s had in college basketball, the work is right there just glaring at you,” Howard said.

“But the man grinded and he learned from one of the greatest coaches in college basketball in coach Jud Heathcote. With that he’s created his own staple and identity to his program and the program’s had success. I really admire Coach in a lot of ways.”