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Wolverine TV: Howard Eisley explains duties as Michigan's 'offensive coordinator,' more

clayton-sayfieby: Clayton Sayfie03/02/22CSayf23
Michigan assistants Phil Martelli and Howard Eisley
Michigan basketball assistant coach Howard Eisley is in charge of calling the offense for Phil Martelli while Juwan Howard is suspended. (Photo by Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Michigan Wolverines basketball assistant coach Howard Eisley met with the media ahead of his team’s matchup with Iowa Thursday night at Crisler Center. While head coach Juwan Howard is suspended, Eisley has been calling Michigan’s offensive sets during games, and he discussed what has gone into transitioning into that role for the remainder of the regular season.

The Maize and Blue just dominated in-state rival Michigan State, 87-70 in Ann Arbor Tuesday night, helping keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. The Wolverines got a huge performance from sophomore center Hunter Dickinson, who registered a career-high 33 points and nine rebounds, and had others step up around him. The Spartans were held to just nine points in transition, too, which was key to holding them to just 70 points.

Michigan will practice Wednesday and have a quick turnaround before Thursday’s home game against Iowa, which the Wolverines beat in Iowa City a couple weeks back. Thursday is also senior night, where Michigan will honor Adrien Nunez, Brandon Johns Jr. and fifth-year senior guard DeVante’ Jones.

The Maize and Blue finish the regular season at Ohio State Sunday, before competing in the Big Ten Tournament. Michigan’s seed for the conference tournament is not decided yet, of course, but the most likely is that they’ll wind up as either a No. 7 or No. 8 seed, avoiding a Wednesday night game but not quite getting a double bye to the quarterfinals on Friday.

The Wolverines are up to No. 32 in the NCAA’s NET rankings, after slotting 37th entering Tuesday, and are all the way up to No. 29 on Kenpom’s efficiency ratings, with the No. 20 offense and No. 82 defense in the land. The analytics site also has Michigan splitting the last two regular season games and finishing the regular season 17-13 overall and 11-9 in Big Ten play.

For more on Michigan basketball, watch Eisley’s press conference below.

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