The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1178918
NOVEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 37 2019-20 BASKETBALL PREVIEW That includes in places such as East Lansing, where Howard and his teammates used to be received with a dedicated, intentional feroc- ity. Things haven't changed much in that area, and the new boss says he'll have his team ready for such occasions. "We all really enjoy competition," Howard said. "That's why we play this game of basketball. When you go into a lion's den, you have to expect the unexpected and control the con- trollable. Whatever comes your way, just stay within the moment." GRATEFUL AND HUNGRY Howard jokes about his gray hairs when asked to recall something from his playing days at Michigan. He's not a kid anymore, and doesn't act like it. As it was, he was always an older soul among the Fab Five. Now he gets to instruct the next wave. Asked what the 46-year-old Juwan Howard would say these days to the 18-year-old version — or any other 18-year-old, for that matter — he paused to ponder. Then he said this: "Enjoy your col- lege experience. Embrace the idea of getting uncomfortable. You'll have those uncomfortable moments, whether it's on the court, in the class- room. That's a part of what being a college student is all about, those ex- periences. "It teaches you how to fight through adversity, how to go out and meet new people, interact. People you would never know in your life, you get to meet here at the University of Michi- gan. That's been some of the best ex- perience for me, meeting people from different parts of the world. "I was only in a small bubble, on the south side of Chicago. That's all I knew." He knows a whole lot more now. But he doesn't know how he'll react, emo- tionally, at the tipoff of his first game as Michigan's head basketball coach. "That's a good question, because I didn't know I was going to tear up at that [introductory press conference]," he said. "Your emotions get the best of you. Things in life that you love cause certain emotions to fire. "I have no idea what it's going to be like my first game, against Saginaw Valley State." This much is certain — he's ready to find out. ❏ What They're Saying About Juwan Howard Michigan players are getting to know their new head coach. Here's a sampling of what they had to say about the new boss on U-M's basketball media day Oct. 17: • Senior guard Zavier Simpson: "He's a big relationship guy. He talks with everyone. He's embracing every single moment, not just about basketball. Ev- eryone can open up and talk with him, which I feel is important. "During some bumpy roads during the season — which we're going to go through — we're going to need that strong connection between our coaches and our players." • Junior forward Isaiah Livers: "He wants to work. Some coaches can come in there and say, 'We're going to get this done, this done, and we're out.' We're going to get our stuff done, but if he wants to add a little something because we've got time, he'll add it. He likes to get after it. He likes that competition." • Freshman swingman Franz Wagner: "It's his experience [that stands out], and the staff overall we have here. The way they made me feel about coming here [from Germany], they made me feel at home. "He's cool to talk to off the court, but on the court, he's not sugar-coating any- thing, which I really like. That's how a coach has to be." — John Borton Howard scored 1,526 points and pulled down 745 rebounds during his college career, making him one of just seven U-M players to surpass 1,500 points and 700 rebounds. He then posted 16,159 points, 7,428 rebounds and 2,663 assists during a 19-year NBA career. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY