The Wolverine

December 2020

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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DECEMBER 2020 THE WOLVERINE 7 BY AUSTIN FOX M i c h i g a n h e a d c o a c h J u w a n H o w a rd a n d his basketball team received huge news Oct. 30, when the NCAA announced they had approved senior guard Chaundee Brown's waiver to play right away in 2020‑21. Brown transferred to U‑M after spending the first three years of his career at Wake Forest, where he averaged 12.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season as a ju‑ nior with the Demon Deacons. He will provide instant experience and serve as a veteran presence in a thin Michigan backcourt that lost guards Zavier Simpson and David DeJulius to graduation and transfer, respectively, from last year's team. Howard teased Brown while delivering the news, gathering the entire team to‑ gether and then insinuating he had bad news regarding the transfer 's waiver. The fake disappointment imme‑ diately turned to joy when Howard shouted. "Chaundee Brown, your waiver has been approved!" His teammates instantly mobbed him in celebration. "I wanted to give him the news in a way to keep him on his toes, so I played a little prank on him," How‑ ard said with a laugh during a Nov. 8 Zoom call with the media. "He was extremely excited when he heard his waiver was approved. It just showed the excitement from each and every guy on the team, and how they have all developed the relationship and welcomed him to the family. "It also speaks a lot about Chaun‑ dee personally and who he is as an individual." "It was just a great feeling," Brown added. "My teammates were hyp‑ ing me up and jumping on me. It just showed how important it was to them as well. "It's really a family here. That's what Coach Howard touched on in my Zoom calls I had with him months before I committed. Every‑ one gets along, laughing, giggling and everything like that. I've never had a team like this." Brown quickly assimilated to Michigan not only from a team chemistry standpoint, and he is expected to earn U‑M's starting two‑guard spot, with Howard noting he has "a chance to be pretty special." The Michigan head man c o n t i n u e d b y re v e a l i n g that shooting has become a strength of Brown's, after the 6‑5, 215‑pounder shot only 32.2 percent from three‑point range last season as a Demon Deacon. "I see myself helping this team by playing my game," the senior explained. "Coach Howard recruited me be‑ cause he liked my game, so there's no need to change it. I've got to be the player I am on the defensive end, get stops and be vocal." Brown also singled out his ability to get into the lane, get fouled, shoot open threes and hit mid‑range shots as other qualities he'll bring to the table. Howard, however, tabbed Brown's competitiveness as his biggest attribute. The Orlando, Fla., native fought through injuries much of last year, but still played in 23 of Wake Forest's 31 games. There was a losing culture under former head coach Danny Manning, though, with the Demon Deacons' combined re‑ cord during Brown's three years in Winston‑Salem sitting at 35‑58. "To win a national championship," the new Wolverine confirmed when asked about his goals for the 2020‑21 campaign. Brown also noted that winning the Big Ten title is a goal of his as well during his one year in Ann Arbor. ❑ Inside Michigan ATHLETICS Chaundee Brown's Waiver Approved By The NCAA Brown played three seasons at Wake Forest and then transferred to Michigan when head coach Danny Manning was let go. PHOTO COURTESY WAKE FOREST

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