FILE – Head coach Juwan Howard of the Michigan Wolverines reacts against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in the second half of the second round of the Big Ten Tournament at United Center on March 09, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Michael Reaves/Getty Images/AFP
MINNEAPOLIS—The college basketball coaching fraternity runs deep, a collegiality among competitors that’s stronger than in most other sports.
Here’s yet another example: Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg recently connected with his Michigan counterpart, Juwan Howard, to offer advice and encouragement while Howard recovers from Sept. 15 heart surgery to remove an aortic aneurysm and repair his aortic valve.
“We had the exact same procedure,” said Hoiberg, whose 10-year NBA playing career ended suddenly in 2005 when his defect was discovered. “I just told him, ‘I’m here for you if you have any questions.’ I know that recovery’s a bear. It’s really tough to come back from.”
Howard’s conditions were identified following a routine medical check. Michigan announced last month that Howard was expected to fully recover in six to 12 weeks and could return to the court in four to six weeks. Assistant coach Saddi Washington, who represented the Wolverines at Big Ten Media Day in Minnesota, said Tuesday there was no specific timetable for seeing Howard on the sideline.
Nebraska head coach Fred Hoiberg speaks during Big Ten NCAA college basketball Media Days Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
“You know my boss, right? He is a very motivated individual to get back,” Washington said. “Quite honestly, we want him back when he’s ready. He’s going to listen to his team of doctors, and he’s going to go through the process of working through his rehab and getting healthy, but I know the competitive spirit that he has, and he’s going to be running through the door when his time comes. We’re just going to hold down the fort and forge forward and try to prepare these young men for this season.”
Michigan opens the season Nov. 7 against UNC Asheville. Associate head coach Phil Martelli will serve as the interim head coach, with Washington and Howard Eisley maintaining their roles and Jay Smith elevated to a third assistant position while Howard is out.
“Coach Juwan has done a great job in preparing me personally. It’s one of the reasons I love working for him, working with him, working at the University of Michigan,” Washington said. “He’s always given us as assistants a voice in the program, for opportunities like this when he sent me a text and said, ‘Hey, you know, I would love for you to represent me and the program on Media Day.’ There was no question.”
The Wolverines were picked to finish 11th in the 14-team conference in the preseason media poll, after missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in eight years and losing their top three scorers. They’ve added transfers Nimari Burnett (Alabama), Olivier Nkamhoua (Tennessee) and Tray Jackson (Seton Hall).
“Coach Juwan has full support and full confidence in the staff, full confidence in the guys in that locker room,” Washington said. “We have just forged forward. Hopefully he’s happy with the work that we’ve been able to put in in his absence. We can’t wait to have him back.”
THE PORTAL LEADS TO PENN STATE
No team in the Big Ten underwent more of a makeover than Penn State, after head coach Micah Shrewsberry left for a raise at Notre Dame and was replaced by Mike Rhoades after the Nittany Lions reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
As is custom in college basketball these days following a coaching change, the transfer portal cranked up in Happy Valley and left Rhoades with only three returning players. So he opened up the inbound door and signed 10 new players in less than two months, a list highlighted by D’Marco Dunn and Puff Johnson from North Carolina and Ace Baldwin Jr., who followed Rhoades from VCU.
“It’s a short amount of time from when we first arrived on campus until now and when the season starts,” Johnson said. “We’ve got a lot of new players. But we’ve done a lot of team bonding outside of basketball to make sure that we’re constantly communicating on the court.”
For Rhoades, the best recruiting job might have been with Jameel Brown, who came to Penn State because of Shrewsberry and entered the transfer portal in the spring but ultimately pulled out and stayed put after a meeting with his parents and Rhoades at his new office.
“I said, ‘Give it a chance, and if you don’t feel good about it after a couple of weeks, that should tell you something,’” Rhoades said. “If you don’t have two feet in, it’s not going to work no matter what.”
BATTLING BACK
Ohio State has one of the biggest potential impact transfers in Jamison Battle, who left his home state program, Minnesota, to enjoy more winning and have a better opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament in his final year of college eligibility.
“The internal pressure that you put on yourself being in your home state, knowing you want it so bad for Minnesota and what I wanted to do, mentally and physically I was just drained,” Battle said. “It was hard last year for me just to see how I was struggling and how I was letting so much get to me.”
Battle, who started his career at George Washington, had his scoring average drop five points per game during a trying season with the last-place Gophers.
“We really needed him, and I think he felt that,” Buckeyes coach Chris Holtmann said, adding: “People in our league know who he is. They don’t want to leave him open, and we know how valuable that is for an efficient offense.
NEW SPOT
The Big Ten brought its annual media day event, with coaches and players from all 14 teams, to Minnesota in connection with the conference tournament next March. Target Center will be a first-time host for the men’s event after staging the women’s tourney for a second straight year.
“What’s centrally located now? Playing in Utah?” Izzo quipped.