The Michigan basketball team is having their worst season in a long time just one year after having their worst season in a long time. When John Beilein was the head coach of the Wolverines, they were a consistent tournament team. Last year, Michigan was close, but they missed the NCAA Tournament. Things got much worse this season as the Wolverines are currently in last place in the Big Ten with an 8-17 overall record and a 3-11 conference record. Things aren't going well for Juwan Howard.
On Tuesday night, the Michigan basketball team suffered its latest embarrassing defeat. The Wolverines hit the road to take on Illinois basketball, and they went back to Ann Arbor with a 97-68 loss. Juwan Howard is now 0-8 against Illinois.
Michigan fans have seen enough, and for the most part, the fan base wants a coaching change. Howard was solid with Michigan in his first couple of seasons, but once John Beilein's players left, things have quickly unraveled. It could be time for a coaching change, but athletic director Warde Manuel hasn't thought about that.
“I have not really thought about any changes in our men's basketball program at this time,” Warde Manuel said on Wednesday, according to a tweet from Nicole Auerbach. “… I want to support Juwan (Howard).”
Wolverines fans aren't too happy with Howard, and they aren't too happy with Manuel either. Some people put the blame on Manuel for Jim Harbaugh leaving the Michigan football team for the NFL. Who knows, Harbaugh might have just wanted to go the NFL and it had nothing to do with Manuel. But regardless, it's not a secret in Ann Arbor that the fans want both Howard and Manuel gone.
Seeing the Michigan basketball team struggle like this is a surprise after the success that Howard had early on with the Wolverines. He won the Big Ten in his first full season at Michigan (his first year was cut short because of COVID), and the Wolverines went all the way to the Elite 8 that season. Things haven't been the same since, however.
There is now less than a month left of the Michigan basketball season, and unless the Wolverines miraculously win the Big Ten Tournament, they will miss the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. That is well below the standard in Ann Arbor, and it will be interesting to see what Michigan decides to do with Howard when the season ends.
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