Michigan basketball: Juwan Howard, Jaelin Llewellyn on the mend … Olivier Nkamhoua shining

Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard continues to recover from significant heart surgery. In his place, assistant Saddi Washington made it to Minneapolis for Big Ten basketball media day Tuesday. The Wolverines are a bit of a wildcard in the conference, not expected by many to make a lot of noise, but they pieces. 

The guard spot is one to watch, with sophomore Dug McDaniel ready for a breakout season after a solid freshman year. But they Wolverines need depth behind him, and there’s hope Jaelin Llewellyn will return healthy from major knee surgery to provide just that. 

“Having gone through that injury myself in my playing days many, many moons ago, I’m so proud of that kid,” Washington said. We all are. At the point of the season last year — I think it was eight or nine games in when he went down — we really felt like he was really getting his feet up under him in terms of playing at this level, being our starting point guard. It normally takes that long for a transfer to really kind of settle in, but that kid, man … he has put the work in since his surgery.

“It’s been awesome to see him out on the floor. He’s been working out and practicing with our guys on a limited basis, just waiting to get full clearance from our doctors. Every day he shows up in the gym a good day for the Michigan Wolverines.”

Many have indicated, however, that the team’s best player is a forward. Tennessee transfer Olivier Nkamhoua came in with guns blazing and has made an impact as a leader. His veteran presence was much needed after center Hunter Dickinson bolted for Kansas, and he’s been a stabilizer in addition to an outstanding player. He can score inside and out and gets after it defensively.

“Olivier is such a great burst of energy,” Washington said. “You have a young man who has championship experience, NCAA Tournament experience. They did a tremendous job in developing him at the University of Tennessee. We’re so excited for what he’s going to bring to the University of Michigan, and I think Olivier has done a great job of immersing himself into the Michigan culture.

“He brings a great deal of leadership. He has been tremendous in terms of using his voice in the locker room, but also balancing the concept of learning our new system, our new culture. We’re really excited he’s on our team.”

Overall, Washington said, this Michigan team is ready to prove doubters wrong. 
“We’ve had a tremendous summer,” he said. “Our young men have been working diligently both on and off the floor. It’s been really refreshing with this group. We have a great blend of older and returning guys, and we’re really just excited to get this season started.”

Michigan coach Juwan Howard is ‘doing fantastic’

Washington couldn’t say with certainty when Howard would return, but he did provide a positive update. “He’s doing fantastic,” Washington said, in good spirits and “very motivated to get back to the young men. And we’re going to be really excited the first time we see him walk down that hallway and into the gym.”

“You know my boss, right? He is a very motivated individual to get back. But, no, there’s no timetable. Quite honestly, we want him back when he’s ready. He’s going to listen to his team of doctors, and he’s going to go through the process of working through his rehab and getting healthy, but I know the competitive spirit that he is, and he’s going to be running through the door when his time comes. We’re just going to hold down the fort and forge forward and try to prepare these young men for this season.”

Associate head coach Phil Martelli will coach the team until Howard returns. Washington, though, was grateful for the opportunity to represent Michigan at Media Day. He made the most of it, looking comfortable at the podium.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “Coach Juwan has done a great job in preparing me personally. It’s one of the reasons I love working for him, working with him, working at the University of Michigan. He’s always given us as assistants a voice in the program. For opportunities like this when he sent me a text and said, ‘Hey, I would love for you to represent me and the program on Media Day’ … there was no question. All the time we challenge our guys to have that next-man-up mentality, and that’s what we have tried to do as a staff while he’s been away getting himself healthy.”

Washington added he had no doubt Martelli would do well leading the team in Howard’s absence.
“The legend himself, Phil Martelli. You would never know with the humility that he brings since day one that he’s coached at the highest level and on the biggest stages,” Washington said. “He’s been a great source of leadership for us. He’s a great sounding board. He’s been a tremendous mentor for our staff. Every single day he’s leading. He sends a text every day. He doesn’t miss.

“It’s been awesome to work with him in the various capacities, and even now in this role as he is standing in the gap for Coach Juwan, it’s been awesome. Coach is a vet. Phil is a vet, and he can coach in his sleep. Just kind of watching him grow and develop the team in his way through Coach Juwan’s system has been awesome. So, we try to support one another in that hallway, and Coach Phil definitely has been awesome for us.”