The Buzz Around Michigan Basketball Is REAL!
Everyone knows that I am a huge Irish fan. Without a question! However, it is hard to ignore or appreciate what Juwan Howard has done with the Michigan Basketball program. In his short time in Ann Arbor he has had some of the top recruiting classes in the nation. His team had an amazing run in March Madness last season. The hype is there. Is this program for real?
Let’s start at the top. Juwan Howard, for those of you who don’t know, was a part of the Fab Five, the first NCAA basketball team to start five freshmen. You could say that he recruited most of that initial team. He was a big reason that Jalen Rose and Chris Webber made it on campus. Not only was that team very successful but Howard was very successful at the next level. He was the first player to sign a $100 contract, an NBA All Star, and eventually an NBA Champion. After his playing career he stuck with the Miami Heat as an assistant coach before accepting the head coach position at Michigan.
From his beginnings as a player it seems as if Howard is the perfect recruiter. This has been shown on the biggest stage the last few years. He is bringing in recruiting classes that are better than traditional powerhouses like Duke, Kentucky, and even in state rival Michigan State. Picture yourself as a teenager and Coach Howard shows up in your living room. He has his NBA Championship ring on. Just sitting there, you know he has won at every level. He has had almost instant success at Michigan. Throw on top his amazing personality and you can see why his is successful at recruiting. Not only at Michigan, but at a lot of the top tier programs there has been an almost youth movement at head coaches so Howard fits that narrative perfectly!
Is it all going to be rainbows and puppies? Nope! With the BIG10 as tough as a conference as it is there is always going to be a challenge. The BIG10 is the deepest conference in the nation. All of those teams are going to beat the crap out of each other. We have seen more teams come out of the BIG10 than any other conference in March Madness. This is proof of how strong the conference is and is always going to be the biggest challenge of Michigan. But does this constant competition good for them? Absolutely! By the time it comes to tournament time they are more prepared.
It is an amazing time to be a Michigan fan! The football team is rolling and everything is lining up for an amazing game with Ohio State. The basketball team is off to a good start and looks primed to make another deep run in the tournament. Coach Howard has yet again another top recruiting class coming in next year so it looks like the program is in good hands and this success is going to be long term. I know I am excited to keep an eye on this team! What are your thoughts on this team?