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WATCH: Juwan Howard previews Michigan vs. Rutgers, talks defensive struggles

clayton-sayfieby:Clayton Sayfie•02/02/24•

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Juwan Howard
(Photo by Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Michigan Wolverines basketball head coach Juwan Howard met with the media Friday afternoon ahead of his team’s Saturday afternoon meeting with Rutgers. Watch the video of his press conference in the player at the top of the screen or on our YouTube channel.

Michigan is 7-14 overall and 2-8 in the Big Ten, but Rutgers is also struggling at 10-10 overall and 2-7 in the league. Howard was asked what Rutgers does well and if there are weaknesses he feels he can exploit.

“You already know I’m not going to tell you what weaknesses they have,” the Michigan coach said. “I will just let you know that they’re a good defensive team. They’re very active around the ball. They cause a lot of turnovers. Defensively, they’ve always been a team under Coach [Steve] Pikiell that I’ve coached against that has been aggressive defensively that play hard and play tough and physical. So, with that energy and effort they’re going to bring, we’ve gotta make sure that we match it.”

Knowing that Rutgers has also had a tough season, Howard was asked if there’s any extra motivation for his Michigan team going into a winnable game.

“Every team that we play, I will always motivate them,” Howard said of his players. “Whether it’s Michigan State, whether it’s Purdue, whether it’s Rutgers. There’s always preparation that goes behind it, as well as a sense of motivation. But it’s not hard to motivate this group. Unfortunately, when you haven’t had the start that you wanted, those are the things that you can probably look at and say, oh, well, the group is not as excited or doesn’t play with a sense of urgency or motivation. That’s not the case with our team.”

Added the Michigan coach: “No matter who we play, we always do a job of preparing. And with Rutgers, I don’t look into the struggles that they are having. I look at and dial in to what they do well, and also what we can do to counter and what we can take away. So, with saying all of that, I just know that they’re going to come in playing with a lot of fight, a lot of energy, toughness. They are going to want this win just as bad as us.”

Tip off for Michigan vs. Rutgers is at 4 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network. Fans are encouraged to wear pink as Michigan shows support for breast cancer awareness. Pink poms will be handed out (while supplies last).

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