January 27th, 2020 at 1:17 PM ^
Tweeted some offensive corn content, Juwan took the necessary steps to prevent an incident before the team arrives in Nebraska.
January 27th, 2020 at 1:18 PM ^
Was he comparing his new hairdo to a corn field? I mean, I'd suspend him for that, too! How much motivation does Nebraska need?
January 27th, 2020 at 1:22 PM ^
While not great for Tuesday night vs Nebraska (and potentially for the rest of this year). I like Juwan asserting himself here, especially with an alpha like Simpson.
A significant part of how we evaluate new managers and leaders within our organization is how comfortable they are doing uncomfortable things that are necessary. This would certainly qualify as an uncomfortable thing for Juwan that could reap more long term benefits for the program than short.
January 27th, 2020 at 1:24 PM ^
The team wasn't working as-is, so this seems like a pretty low risk situation for Juwan. If they suck before the suspension, sucking after it isn't a big deal.
I'm more excited to see what the other guys can do.
January 27th, 2020 at 1:30 PM ^
I am in this boat. It might be a relatively unpopular opinion but I'm over this iteration of Michigan with Simpson as the face of the team. He is a good college player but Dejulius is going to be big time and I am just ready to see it.
January 27th, 2020 at 1:59 PM ^
Not giving up on your DDJ hard-on, I see.
January 27th, 2020 at 2:04 PM ^
Really weird thing to say.
January 27th, 2020 at 2:46 PM ^
DDJ took the reigns for 5 mins in the Illinois game when Zavier sat. The team scored 2 points, total. He's scoring 6.6pts on 35.8% shooting (18.8% from 3 in conference play). He's hit 3 threes total in 8 conference games. His conference per-40 assists rate is 3.7 per 40min
Simpson is scoring 15.3pts on 45.9% shooting in conference play. He's hit 8 threes in 8 conference games. His conference per-40 assists rate is 7.5 per 40min.
So DDJ scores less, scores less efficiently, assists at half the rate X does, hits less than half a three per conference game, and is not as good of a defender ...
But it seems like the team should really take off now that Simpson is out of the way.
January 27th, 2020 at 2:57 PM ^
You seem to really hate Dejulius.
January 27th, 2020 at 3:11 PM ^
Because I listed his stats?
I don't hate Dejulius. I hate when people criticize Simpson, or criticize Howard for playing Simpson over Dejulius.
It's like people who endlessly think the 2nd string QB is the savior of the football team.
January 27th, 2020 at 3:22 PM ^
This team doesn't have a savior. We are 2-6 in conference, 11-8 overall. One of our "home games" is away at MSG. The two teams we will primarily battling for a NCAA birth are single plays who have the head to head against us and far better overall records. Livers is probably out for another month. Our "great leader" point guard just got suspended from the team.
We are cooked.
I want DDJ to get as much experience as he can and hit the ground running next year. And if he looks the part I would like him to play starters minutes.
January 27th, 2020 at 3:58 PM ^
We're 32nd in Kenpom. We've lost most games by single digits, including last possession losses to Oregon and Illinois. We still have more quality wins than almost every fringe tournament team.
If you want to bail on the season because things are trending in the wrong direction with Livers out, then fine. But it's not like this team was winning a National Championship anyway -- even when we were beating UNC and Gonzaga. It's obvious there's minimal talent. You usually push for a tournament bid in years like this bc you hope it helps with recruiting and program building. Juwan is already on top of that. So my suggestion would be to let Teske and Simpson play out their days, which I believe they've earned the right to do. And DDJ can watch Simpson play and learn from him, just like Simpson did with Walton. It'd be another story if DDJ's play (which as 20mpg in conference is not a small sample) showed that he would even be 75% as good as Simpson, but that's not the case.
January 27th, 2020 at 4:15 PM ^
Right. You want Simpson and Teske to “play out their days” instead of shaking things up to try to create a spark and I am in the one giving up on the season. Got it.
January 27th, 2020 at 4:32 PM ^
With Livers out, Teske and Simpson are miles ahead of everyone else on the talent scale.
What do you want to shake up? You want Juwan to unleash the DDJ-Brooks-Wagner-JohnsJr-Castleton lineup? Or the DDJ-Bajema-Wagner-Castleton-Davis lineup? Maybe DDJ-Brooks-Nunez-JohnsJr-Davis lineup?
You can shuffle them around all you want, but their talent level isn't going to magically increase. Right now they're mostly playing terrible, with defenses scheming for Teske and Simpson. We're about to get a taste of life without Simpson, and I'm guessing it's going to be a very rough ride.
January 27th, 2020 at 4:14 PM ^
He also takes some really bad shots, disrupting the game flow. Momentum matters more in Bball than most sports. DDJ isn't ready.
January 27th, 2020 at 4:19 PM ^
We will find out tomorrow.
January 27th, 2020 at 5:54 PM ^
Maybe the light suddenly goes on for him, but we have hundreds of minutes of evidence that he's not that good at defense and takes a lot of bad shots on offense. There's a reason the coaches were playing him less and less as the season went on instead of more and more despite Brooks also reverting a bit and Nunez proving unplayable.
Again, I really hope he steps up his focus and intensity now. But considering that was how he was going to earn more minutes previously and he was having trouble with it, I'm not super optimistic.
I do think he's a better shooter than he's shown in conference games this season and he's not going to keep shooting 18%.
January 27th, 2020 at 6:55 PM ^
Seriously man that is crazy. DeJulius has played well in limited minutes this season.
Simpson has gotten roasted multiple times defensively and people here still think he’s a “stopper.”
January 27th, 2020 at 2:57 PM ^
I have a feeling that Simpson, being an alpha personality or not, just won't impress on Juwan friggen Howard. I mean, I could hear a conversation something like this:
Savier - 'I'm the face of this team, the Alpha Dog!'
JfH - 'Come talk to me when you've played 20-some years in the NBA, won two NBA Championships, and coached DWade, Kris Bosch, and Lebron. Son.'
January 27th, 2020 at 1:25 PM ^
That there are more posts making fun of his hair than posts about a supposed senior leader being suspended for a game mid-season says something.
January 27th, 2020 at 1:26 PM ^
College kid does something dumb over the weekend isn't really all that newsworthy
January 27th, 2020 at 1:29 PM ^
I just checked the board and have no idea what's going on because apparently all the good posts about this got nuked.
January 27th, 2020 at 5:11 PM ^
And the entire first page of this post is people bitching about it.
January 27th, 2020 at 5:30 PM ^
same here, and I still don't know what the fuck Simpson did wrong.
January 27th, 2020 at 1:29 PM ^
The DDJ truthers will get their wish.
January 27th, 2020 at 1:34 PM ^
Meanwhile this news has been out there now for about 70 minutes and still no mention on the front page.
January 27th, 2020 at 1:37 PM ^
Everyone knows that the front page drives all the ad revenue, not the user supported content in the forums!
January 27th, 2020 at 2:45 PM ^
Trying to figure out how to grandstand. My guess is it will be that other schools wouldnt have suspended Simpson for the thing he did that nobody knows.
January 27th, 2020 at 3:02 PM ^
Probably looking up the prevalence of CTE in former NBA players.
January 27th, 2020 at 1:34 PM ^
The mods around here suck!
January 27th, 2020 at 1:35 PM ^
The game against Nebraska was already 50/50 but not sure exactly how this impacts that.
Considering that UM is now one of the worst teams in the B1G, no wins are guaranteed.
What an absolute failure of a hire Juwan has been. About to be dead last in the B1G and the senior PG, 4 year starter at that, is breaking his team rules.
This athletic department is such a gong show.
January 27th, 2020 at 1:37 PM ^
2.65 year starter.
January 27th, 2020 at 2:09 PM ^
Oh man you are right. I thought for sure he was starting by the end o his freshman year but that was the Walton year where he carried the team on his back that 2nd half of the season.
January 27th, 2020 at 1:39 PM ^
Good grief. You are either a troll or just a flat-out miserable person if you actually believe all the things you just wrote. Get a grip.
January 27th, 2020 at 2:10 PM ^
Miserable person.
But that doesn't make it untrue.
Michigan is 1 game away from being in last place in the B1G, ergo, Juwan is a failure, ergo, Warde, the man who hired Juwan, is a failure and running a gong show athletic department because good ADs don't hire coaches who destroy a Top 10 program over the past decade-plus into the worst team in the conference in less than 20 games.
And no grips needed. I am simply stating what is going on in Juwan's program.
Somehow a senior leader is now breaking team rules, a guy who has never had so much as a whiff of disciplinary issues in the 3 years preceding, is now breaking rules and getting suspended.
This all starts with Juwan and his inability to coach and adapt to the team and to the reality of his situation.
January 27th, 2020 at 2:34 PM ^
In his first three seasons at Duke, Coach K went 17-13, 10-17, and 11-17. Yep, Duke should have fired him that first year because it was a shit show.
And before you make another dumb comment, the guy before him had gone 27-7, 22-8, and 24-9 the three seasons prior so it's not like he took over a crap program.
January 27th, 2020 at 2:46 PM ^
Oh cool! You found a really sweet example for why Juwan isn't a bad coach. Juwan = the next Coach K confirmed
January 27th, 2020 at 3:01 PM ^
Beilein went 16-16 (8-10) in 2014-15 when Caris Levert got injured. He still had Caris for 18 games along with future NBA players Derrick Walton Jr and DJ Wilson, and future G-Leaguers Zak Irvin and Aubrey Dawkins.
Did you want him fired?
Juwan is 11-8 with several top tier wins before he lost his best player. There might not be another NBA or G League caliber player in the entire roster after Livers. He didn't have a hand in building this roster. He has a top 5 class on deck, and has received praise from basketball legends like Pat Riley, Dwayne Wade, and LeBron James ...
Maybe give him some fucking time, like we did with Beilein when he only had 10 wins his first year, with 3 future NBA players on his roster.
January 27th, 2020 at 3:33 PM ^
Did you want him fired?
No, because he was a proven head coach that had won every single place he had ever been and spent decades as a head coach. And that year came after the NC appearance year. That isn't even remotely the same situation Juwan is in this year.
There might not be another NBA or G League caliber player in the entire roster after Livers. He didn't have a hand in building this roster.
That's fair. I still put plenty of these losses on him though. He is the head man. He needs to adapt and change when necessary. How many games are you going to get your ass handed to you by an opposing big before you switch things up and have the guards sag down, for example?
He has a top 5 class on deck
Only if Todd comes, but I will delete my account if he comes and actually suits up opening next in the fall. Dude is going overseas.
has received praise from basketball legends like Pat Riley, Dwayne Wade, and LeBron James ..
This is a cool sound bite but it means nothing because the guy isn't winning. Why should anyone care with Dwayne Wade thinks about Juwan, especially when Juwan has the team 1 game away from dead last place in the conference?
Maybe give him some fucking time, like we did with Beilein when he only had 10 wins his first year,
Again, it was a completely different situation. If JB took over this same team and program this year instead of Juwan, I guarantee you UM would be in the top 3, not the bottom 3.
Plus, JB took over a broken program. Juwan took over a dominant one. JB got time to get shit up and running because he had proved his formula worked for decades. All Juwan has proven is that he can break a great program in less than 20 games, coach seniors in a way that they regress to playing like freshmen, and not have any clue how to slow down bigs.
January 27th, 2020 at 3:55 PM ^
Michigan got beat by the same team three times last season...with more talent...when Beilein was the coach. That does not happen to dominant teams.
Beilein was able to build a roster which fit his style and coach it to a lot of wins (both during the season and in the tourney) but I would have called very few of Beilein's teams dominant.
I'm sure Beilein would have a few more wins with this same situation than Howard has. But I'll wait to measure Beilein vs. Howard until we see how Howard does with his players over the next couple of years.
Roy Williams, Bill Self, and many other highly regarded coaches would probably have worse records than Coach Howard with the same situation. Why? Because these are not their type of players.
January 27th, 2020 at 4:18 PM ^
I'd say it matters what Wade and LeBron think, because their sons and their sons' teammates will be looking for colleges soon.
The dominant pieces of JB's team walked out the door with him. Here's how the scoring went in the tournament last year ...
Texas Tech
- Matthews, Iggy, Poole - 37 pts
- Players Juwan has now - 7 pts
Florida
- Matthews, Iggy, Poole - 33 pts
- Players Juwan has now - 31 pts
Montana
- Matthews, Iggy, Poole - 46 pts
- Players Juwan has now - 28 pts
He's had basically zero time to replace any talent. We're lucky that he was able to salvage the commitment of Wagner, or things would be even more dismal. Even without Todd, he'll be bringing in way more than what Beilein left for him.
Do you really think that the "culture" that John Beilein left behind is enough to get Iggy/Poole/Matthews caliber production out of Wagner/Brooks/JohnsJr?
January 27th, 2020 at 4:34 PM ^
The culture and roster left behind is better than last place in big ten. Juwan has a hand in the teams problems, let’s stop with this “what is supposed to do there’s no talent” take its garbage.
Saying that it’s way too early to come any type of definitive conclusion on Juwan as a head coach. I don’t blame Howard for the Simpson suspension at all, anyone who is doing that is a fool.
January 27th, 2020 at 6:00 PM ^
This is the part that many people cannot grasp....we are not upset that we are not near the top of the league....we are upset that with the current talent/pieces on the roster, WE SHOULD NOT FINISH NEAR THE BOTTOM....there is more than enough talent to beat some of these teams.....why is this so hard for objective-minded people to comprehend?
January 27th, 2020 at 4:39 PM ^
Okay fine - I used a wrong adjective in "dominate" How about "exceptional" is that okay?
As for the scoring in the tourney last year - yah, I would expect your top 3 scoring options would take the majority of the shots and have the majority of the points.
I still argue that a returning team with 2 seniors and a junior starter along with a 4 man class getting a year older and bigger is still better than dead last in the conference.
He's had basically zero time to replace any talent.
Fair. I won't argue against that point. I would want to see how stridently he looked and worked for transfers but I get and can concede that point.
We're lucky that he was able to salvage the commitment of Wagner, or things would be even more dismal.
Again, Fair. I won't argue against that either
Even without Todd, he'll be bringing in way more than what Beilein left for him.
I disagree here. The jury is out on Zeb, but counting on a freshman PG for major minutes doesn't bode well for the success of a team. And Jace is a wash. He won't contribute at all. So that leaves us with Dickenson and Williams. Maybe Dickenson can bulk up and give meaningful minutes in the post as a freshman in the B1G, but I doubt it. And Williams may as well redshirt.
None of the 4 will be able to provide what this team needs. A ball-handler that can force defenses to decide between 2 bad options on the P&R. Or a shooter that stretches the floor. Or a guy that can get his own basket late in the shot clock or generate his own looks and looks for other guys.
Do you really think that the "culture" that John Beilein left behind is enough to get Iggy/Poole/Matthews caliber production out of Wagner/Brooks/JohnsJr?
I would be intrigued to learn what the summer program and expectations were for the guys with Howard. And what the fall practice was. None of the sophomores made that standard leap we got accustomed to.
And I honestly am not even arguing that Juwan needed to emulate JB in year 1 - but is expecting him to coach a team with this much talent to.500 too much to expect? I mean come on, this team doesn't have even half the talent of the 2013 Final Four squad, but this team has more talent than to be dead last in the B1G. Even you have to agree with me there.
January 27th, 2020 at 3:03 PM ^
Why not both?
January 27th, 2020 at 1:52 PM ^
Juwan is brining in the best recruiting class since the F5. That's about as opposite of fail as it gets.
January 27th, 2020 at 2:05 PM ^
A PG who doesn't even start for his high school team
2 big men
And his kid who isn't even scouted by the majority of sites
Pretty great class he has coming in there
Todd ain't coming here. He would have sent in the LOI at the early period. He is going pro. Get paid or play on this dumpster fire team?
And Christopher is going to ASU. Play with your brother or play on a team the coach ran into the ground in less than 20 games? Tough choice he has there. And Greg Brown ain't coming here.
The whole "Juwan has the best recruiting class every coming!" shit has got to stop. It's not reality.
Not a single shooter. Not a single guy who can go get his own shot late in the clock.
But yah great - his kid is coming! Take that Izzo!
Juwan has gotta go, along with Warde. These 2 clowns have ruined the program.
January 27th, 2020 at 2:26 PM ^
Maybe you should stop caring about Michigan sports then .... you are either too young, too much of a bandwagon fan, or too much of a pussy to remember the Amaker years when an NIT berth was reason for massive celebration. Shit, I remember the early-mid 2000s when we were super happy like we won the National Championship when we won the NIT 1997 (since vacated) and in 2004. Sports programs go up and down. Teams go up and down. New coaches struggle and players struggle to adapt to new coaching.
Take a breather and relax or fuck off and do what Eli did and be a pretend fan.
Just jump from bandwagon to bandwagon, but still pretend that you're always "Michigan fan first" just in case Michigan does ever win one, you can still claim you were "always a fan" even though all you ever wear is gear from Clemson or KC Chiefs or Patriots or Alabama or LSU or Golden State (except this year) or whoever wins the last title.
January 27th, 2020 at 2:43 PM ^
Maybe you should stop caring about Michigan sports then ....
Maybe
you are either too young,
Nope
too much of a bandwagon fan
Not this one
too much of a pussy to remember the Amaker years
Pussys don't remember things?
Amaker years when an NIT berth was reason for massive celebration
This has literally nothing to do with my point at all. I don't give a shit about the Amaker years. JB built this program and turned it into a Top 10 one now (considering the last decade or so)
Shit, I remember the early-mid 2000s when we were super happy like we won the National Championship when we won the NIT 1997
So do I, which is why I really don't want to go back there.
Sports programs go up and down. Teams go up and down. New coaches struggle and players struggle to adapt to new coaching.
Sure. Some do. But I can point to plenty of hoops programs that disprove this theory. Why shouldn't we expect the same for UM? From a program with countless cash to acquire the best coach money can buy.
Take a breather and relax
I'm chill.
fuck off and do what Eli did and be a pretend fan.
Eli? I guess I don't get the inside joke
Just jump from bandwagon to bandwagon,
Nah, I will stay a UM fan
even though all you ever wear is gear from Clemson or KC Chiefs or Patriots or Alabama or LSU or Golden State (except this year) or whoever wins the last title.
My man, you are getting way overheated about a message board comment. Here is some great advice I heard once that may be of help. ...
Take a breather and relax or fuck off.