The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1490206
14 THE WOLVERINE FEBRUARY 2023 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS During a heartbreaking and unfath- omable loss to Central Michigan on Dec. 28, U-M did not send Hunter Dick- inson, Terrance Williams or another starter out to the podium to address what had happened. But it did send out junior captain Jace Howard. He has proven to be in- valuable to the Wolverines as a tone- setter for the program and an adrena- line kick off the bench. Howard's role with U-M has never been extensive. Through 15 games this season, he has averaged 7.7 min- utes per game off the bench. But as a lieutenant for his father's program, he has a way of summing things up like no other can. "That's why [the loss to CMU] hurts so much right now," Jace said. "Because you know what you're capable of and you know what the team is capable of, but not seeing it is very frustrating. I feel like the whole team is going to embrace it, and they have to embrace it." With his team sitting at 7-5 after the Central Michigan loss, Howard made sure he was deliberate with his sum- mation of the state of the team. "We're playing like frontrunners right now," Howard said. "That's not how you win games and that's not how you stay a winning program, something that we've done for the past couple of years." What followed were two of Michi- gan's most inspired efforts of the sea- son, an 81-46 win over Maryland and a 79-69 decision against Penn State. The message got through. Howard, whose major is undeclared in the School of Literature, Science and the Arts, takes care of his business on the court and in the classroom. He was an Academic All-Big Ten honoree last winter, and it would surprise no one if he earned that designation again this season. The way he handles himself and the respect built within the locker room helped him earn a team captain des- ignation. "He's like the ultimate spark plug," Michigan assistant Saddi Washington told MLive in the spring. "He's got to be ready all the time. A kid like him doesn't know from one game to the next if and when he'll get in. But the expectation is [that] when he gets in the game, the whole energy is taken to another level. He played that role to a T." Juwan Howard brought his son to the program to not just warm a spot on the bench, but to help carry out his vision and help win games. He should only continue his growth as one of the leaders in the locker room. "Jace is Jace. As steady as they come," Juwan Howard said before the season. "I'm seeing his mid-range shot becom- ing a little more consistent, instead of just being a guy who's shooting spot- up threes, a guy that can be comfort- able with the ball in his hands and make good decisions with the ball." The night of Dec. 28 might be his shining moment with the program so far, though. Stern and focused as ever, Howard said the team needed to show more fight, and the early returns have been positive. "It comes down to us playing every game like it's our last," Howard said. "That's what we've got to do because we don't have that much room for error. You have to fight every second when you are fighting for survival. That's how we have to keep playing be- cause that's where we're at right now." — Anthony Broome Junior forward Jace Howard, an Academic All-Big Ten honoree last winter, was voted a team captain ahead of the 2022-23 season and continues to be a tone-setter for the men's basketball program. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL Student-Athlete Of The Month Men's Basketball Junior Forward Jace Howard