40 THE WOLVERINE
FEBRUARY 2022
BY JOHN BORTON
J
uwan Howard's crew found a way
to avoid extending its Big Ten los-
ing streak during the first week of
January. It definitely wasn't how
the Wolverines envisioned doing so.
Instead of a dramatic turnaround in a
home victory over Michigan State Jan.
8, followed by a road win at Purdue Jan.
11, the Wolverines watched their sea-
son get put on hold. COVID protocols
left U-M's season suspended at 7-6, 1-2
in the conference, those two contests
postponed.
The Big Ten insists that no squad fall
below a roster minimum of seven schol-
arship players available for any given
contest, along with at least one coach.
The Wolverines fell below that number
for both the MSU and Purdue games.
The enforced inaction drove frustration
a year ago, while the Wolverines steamed
toward a Big Ten title and a deep run in
the NCAA Tournament. The quiet part,
this time around, involves the potentially
merciful aspect of the postponements for
a team struggling to right the ship.
BUZZSAWS,
THEN A PAUSE
Michigan Basketball Runs Aground In Early Going
Juwan Howard, with forward Terrance Williams II, has watched his squad deal with high preseason expectations and a COVID-depleted roster during a
surprising 8-7 start to the 2021-22 season.
PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL
