'Laser focused': Juwan Howard insists Michigan basketball players remain 'bought in' despite early-season struggles

Michigan basketball was ranked No. 4 in the preseason but hasn’t met expectations through the first month of the season, starting out 6-4 with three of those setbacks coming by double digits. The Wolverines were most recently beaten by Minnesota last Saturday night, despite being 13.5-point favorites, leaving many wondering if this is even an NCAA Tournament team.

But head coach Juwan Howard and Co. can’t worry about March until they fix the issues of the here and no, which is exactly what the Wolverines intend on doing. Michigan will have had a full week off between the Minnesota game and a home tilt with Southern Utah this coming Saturday (Dec. 18), leaving the team some time to hit the practice floor, as well as focus on final exams.

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Michigan will game plan for Southern Utah, of course, but Howard is more focused on his group playing the way it’s supposed to. Despite the underwhelming first 10 games, the Wolverines did show improvement in wins over San Diego State and Nebraska the week before falling to the Gophers, and sometimes fans have to be reminded that improvement isn’t always linear.

“It’s about us,” Howard said on the Inside Michigan Basketball radio show Monday night. “No offense to any other team that is out there. It’s about how we could get better and areas where we need to improve and get back to our habits and improve with our habits.”

The mood of the team was down Saturday night, Howard said, but he liked what he saw during Monday’s practice after being curious as to how the Wolverines would come back to work.

“We had a great practice [Monday],” he said. “The guys brought energy and the juice, and they were also laser focused. Not saying that hadn’t been happening before, but you always sit back and say, ‘Let’s see how everyone responds when you get punched in the mouth.’ The bully came and punched us in the mouth, and I love the way we responded in practice.”

Michigan struggled in just about every aspect of the game against Minnesota. Shooting 3-of-18 from long range while also passing up open looks on offense, and allowing open driving lanes to the bucket and failing to rotate over in time were a few of the most glaring problems. But Howard insisted his players are committed to the process, and he’s confident they will come along.

“The guys that are in the rotation — I trust them, and they’re applying what’s being taught,” Howard said. “For 40 minutes, you’re going to have some moments where you have either a defensive breakdown because of fatigue or a defensive breakdown because of the mental fatigue part of it, but it doesn’t mean they’re not in tune to doing what’s right to help the team win.

“And that’s the beauty of coaching. You see guys that are bought in, and you’re just going to keep teaching and growing them and developing them and trusting them. And that’s the part that I have — I trust in them.”

Howard called himself his players’ “biggest supporter” while also carrying the responsibility to “hold them accountable,” which is a delicate balance, especially with a struggling team. Fifth-year senior guard and captain Eli Brooks shared some frustration with the performance against Minnesota, saying Michigan has to be more physical in order to compete in the Big Ten. Howard is preaching patience, though, while he also realizes there is a lot of growing for the Wolverines to do, especially within the group of seven newcomers.

“As a freshman, it takes time to develop, and you just have to have the patience with your group and to keep coaching them up and sticking to your habits and keep trusting your habits,” Howard said. “But at the end of the day, positivity is everything in life.

“I have to continue teaching and guiding and leading that group no matter what — when the ball is going in the basket and when the ball is not going in the basket for us.”

Juwan Howard Backs His Point Guard

Fifth-year senior point guard DeVante’ Jones, a Coastal Carolina transfer, has taken the brunt of criticism this season. He turned the ball over 20 times in the first eight games and has struggled with foul trouble, and he’s averaging just 6.8 points per game on 42.6 percent shooting from the field and 25.0 percent from beyond the arc.

After being asked a question about Jones’ improvement, with the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year having scored 17 points and dished out 11 assists in the last two games, Howard actually responded by defending Jones.

“I’m 10 toes down and I’m also four feet in, in supporting DeVante’, because that guy is with us, and I’m in the trenches with him,” the Michigan head coach said. “I love to see how he’s been getting better and better each game.”

Howard added that some of his fouls have been on him but he’s also been on the receiving end of some poor calls. But while he hasn’t stepped in and played at the level many expected him to in the early going, Howard has seen Jones make strides.

“I see a lot of growth in DeVante’,” Howard said.