The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2019 THE WOLVERINE 41 2019-20 BASKETBALL PREVIEW on-board attitude while spreading it to others. "I've always strived to be that cap- tain," Livers said. "I've worked on my vocal skills. The first two years, I watched some great captains ahead of me. I'm going to take what they taught me and teach these young guys the way we play Michigan bas- ketball here." All of the assistants named Livers as someone who has stepped forward to turn up the volume. Michigan has another senior in center Jon Teske whose 7-1 presence will certainly be felt, but he's generally not loud. "Isaiah has really stepped up," Eis- ley said. "He's one of the guys that has played in the past. Jon is on the milder side. He tries to lead by his play. He's not a very vocal guy, but he's very passionate as well." Wa s h i n g t o n e v e n m e n t i o n e d sophomore guard David DeJulius as someone making some leadership strides. That could pay dividends in the not-too-distance future, he noted. "Guys like Isaiah and Dave are re- ally using their voice more in prac- tice and growing more in that area," Washington shared. "The more guys that we can have step up … because, eventually, X is going to be rotating out of here, and we're going to have new leadership. "The more we can grow in that area, the better it's going to be for the program." In the meantime, the take-charge players and all of those who were here under Beilein play a part in bringing along Michigan's newcom- ers, Howard said. According to the new boss, they're doing it. "They can teach the young guys to do it the right way," Howard said. "They've got some guys they can lean on, ask questions, help them through the tough moments. "I was once a freshman. It didn't happen right away. I had an Eric Ri- ley. I was fighting for his position, but talk about a pure individual. He was still teaching me. He was not into himself. He was giving to me and feeding more into the team. "I have those types of guys, feed- ers, that are giving more to the team, helping and serving one another. That's a coach's dream. Because they recruited most of those guys, Coach Beilein, Saddi, DeAndre [Haynes] and Luke [Yaklich] — thank you." ❏ Coaching Leadership Is A Group Effort Juwan Howard knows what he wants out of a basketball team. He knows how he wants it to look, act and play. That doesn't mean he's going to be a dictator regarding every movement they make on the court. He openly embraces a team effort when it comes to his staff. "We have done it as a collective group," Howard said. "Our staff is egoless. I love to over-communicate. I do not want to put anyone in a corner and make them feel like they cannot talk or have a role, have a voice. "I signed them and have them here for a reason. I trust their basketball knowl- edge. I would be a fool not to use them." Certainly, Phil Martelli's 43 years of coaching experience — including 24 as Saint Joseph's head coach — cannot be overlooked. He drew a mid-October bump up to associate head coach and will be leaned on heavily, just like assis- tants Saddi Washington and Howard Eisley. All of them appreciate the input Howard remains open to in guiding his first crew in Ann Arbor. "One of the characteristics of Juwan is, he makes us speak up," Martelli said. "He wants us to have input. It's not his way is the only way. Everybody's hands are in everything." Martelli then underscored — in head-turning fashion — the high hopes that brought him into an assistant coaching situation after so many years as a head man. "I don't hesitate to say, what if?" Martelli offered. "If we put in a zone defense, what if we trap the baseline? That's what I would do. All I wanted to be assured is that I would be heard. I don't have to be listened to. I don't have all the answers. "But I do — and it's encouraged — discuss. Put it on the table. There's no hesi- tation. I'm not here to be a mascot. I'm here to help Juwan Howard coach on a Monday night in April. That's dead what I'm about. "He's going to do that. I just want to be a part of it, making sure that happens." There's a long road between preseason practices and a Monday night in April, in whatever year it might happen. Howard remains focused on the here and now, but he's more than happy to embrace what he considers championship-level input from his coaches. "We meet as a staff pretty much every day," he said. "We talk about basketball, we talk about how we can help our team get better. I'm listening. I'm all ears." — John Borton All three U-M assistants dubbed junior forward Isaiah Livers (above) as somebody who is stepping up behind Simpson in the leadership department, along with senior center Jon Teske. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL