Juwan Howard responds to Hunter Dickinson comment following Michigan loss to Indiana
Michigan head coach Juwan Howard and star center Hunter Dickinson have different interpretations of the Wolverines should react to their 62-61 loss to Indiana.
Michigan was leading by two points with 8:49 remaining but hit only one field goal the rest of the game — and did not score over the final five minutes of the contest. Dickinson left the game feeling like a reset was needed.
“The progress really kind of almost got erased with this loss right here,” Dickinson said. “We’re kind of back to the drawing board and I would say we probably only have like one more of these left to use up if we want to make the tournament. I think the progress kind of got erased out there. We have a lot of work to do and try to build back that momentum that we had.”
Howard did not agree with the assessment.
“I’m not quite sure what he means by back to the drawing board,” Howard said. “I would just say this. We’re 8-6 and we have a tough opponent coming up on the road. That’s a game that we have to, of course, prepare and get ready for. We’re looking forward to the matchup but still doesn’t change anything. One game at a time.”
Hunter Dickinson’s team-high 16 points not enough for Juwan Howard’s Michigan team
Hunter Dickinson led Michigan with 16 points in the game, including a 6-for-10 shooting day from the field, but it wasn’t enough for the Wolverines. The team shot 32.0% in the second half and was 25.0% from beyond the arc for the entire game.
Indiana received big games from Trayce Jackson-Davis and Jalen Hood-Schifino to push the Hoosiers to victory.
It was a tough loss for Michigan to swallow, especially regarding its NCAA Tournament hopes. A win over Indiana would have been a major resume booster.
“It is extremely unfortunate that we weren’t able to capitalize on this,” Dickinson said. “This was a great opportunity for us to build our resume. We need a lot of help in order to make the tournament. And this was a great opportunity that slipped through our fingers.
“But I feel like that’s the moral of the season so far, it’s just not capitalizing on those opportunities that we get. And he starts with me as the captain of the team. I need to do better.”