OT-ish: Timeberwolves remove interim tag from Ryan Saunders
This is relevant to us because Minnesota had interviewed Juwan Howard for their HC position. Juwan's options for next year are now Miami Heat assistant or HC at Michigan, assuming he's offered after his interview tomorrow. My guess is, this is why Juwan's interview was scheduled for tomorrow instead of being completed last week like Yaklich's interview.
You mean there was a reason Warde waited on the interview? Amazing.
Actually, I think it's a-maizen!
Kudos. Too much work and not enough sleep to be so witty!
I need this to end so I can do more work and less flipping around Michigan sites
I thought we were all certain Warde was a bumbling idiot because Phil Jackson wasn't hired within 4 hours of Beilein's resignation
I can't believe Warde didn't steal Coach K from Duke, and have Jay Wright and Brad Stevens as Coach K's assistants. What an embarrassment of an AD for him to not pull off this simple task.
Seems like writing on the wall for them to name Saunders. Gotta think Howard to UM is real close, just need to make sure Warde and Howard understanding of each other and on the same page.
I was thinking, best JB left this year than next. We got 3 solid pieces coming back and maybe a McDaniels recruit due to Howard’s connections. Add in a few of the Fr getting better from last year, hopefully can keep the momentum going. Having those 3 back should help that.
Agreed.
And not sure if this has been addressed, but would the chance of getting Iggy back improve with a Howard hire. Seems to me if he had any question of staying for another year, playing for Howard, a power forward who had a 19 year NBA career and 5 years as a top assistant in the league would have to be attractive. Imagine what he could learn under Juwan's guidance.
Also possible I am being delusional and he is gone. Been known to happen...
Alright and there it is. Please welcome Juwan Howard as the next head coach for Michigan basketball. Lots of uncertainty, but I'm excited to see what he can bring to the table. Especially when it comes to recruiting.
Warde and Howard, please do whatever it takes to retain Yaklich!
Here's our best case scenario with a Howard hire: Retain all current scholarship players and Bajema (I think Wilson is gone no matter what). Add Franz Wagner, Jaden McDaniels and a grad transfer. This is our rotation:
PG - Z/DDJ SG - Brooks/DDJ/Bajema SF - Livers/Franz PF - McDaniels/Livers C - Teske/Castleton/McDaniels. Even better would be if Franz can guard opposing 2s. Because I think he can play the 2 offensively.
I can get behind this, that grad transfer should be a true 2 as well. Hopefully an in home visit with McDaniels is the first thing Howard does as HC at Michigan. I hope they atleast attempt to rerecruit Wilson as long as Yaklich is retained.
Heres a good question, do we have a total restructure of our offense under Howard (two bigs with lots of post entries), or continue to go along with mainstream basketball with an emphasis on 3 point shots and floor spacing?
I think JH has been watching/coaching in the NBA for some time now and understands the value of the 3 pointer.
JH should do a sleepover.
Knew I was forgetting someone when I mentioned a grad transfer. Ideally it would be Jaevin Cumberland.
Hoping he has been holding out on decision to wait on UM. If JH hired, thinking he needs to be one of first few calls. We need a shooter and help at 2.
I think we see current era, mainstream basketball if Howard is hired. He doesn't strike me as someone who's stuck in the past. If we look at his current environment, the Heat played the following guys at PF: Kelly Olynyk, James Johnson, Justise Winslow and even Duncan Robinson. Olynyk is as close as you're going to get to a back to the basket guy in that list.
Starting with best case scenario for 3 roster additions in late May following a coaching change is probably going to leave you bummed.
I’ll be pumped if they can get one of those guys and retain Bajema.
Do we really have any hope of getting Franz? I thought he was more or less staying in Germany even before Beilein left. Unless there's some info out there I'm unaware, it seems unwise to hold out hope that Franz is coming to Ann Arbor
Doesn't Howard have a 5* nephew in one of the upcoming classes? I think I heard that on a national radio show, but couldn't find him anywhere to confirm.
There really isn't a grad transfer out there who would be a huge improvement, AFAIK. Obviously pulling in McDaniels would be huge, but no matter who's the next coach people probably need to ratchet down their expectations. They'll likely make the tourney but it'll be as a 8-ish seed, the type of team that probably struggles early on but figures itself out a bit as he year progresses.
Howard has been a candidate for several jobs. Just hasn’t gotten over the hump. Always curious how that happens. Nobody says anything bad about him, but never offer him the job. He either will be super motivated to prove people wrong, or might have flaws in his strategy, ability to work with others/wants things his way,etc. Sort of odd. Always interesting to see guys who can’t get over hump, finally do, how it turns out. Can’t imagine if UM coach, a lack of time/energy will be reason if he doesn’t succeed. He will be motivated.
Perhaps he keeps showing up at his interviews without pants. That would explain it.
If you ever find the answer, let me know for my own career. So far I have just chalked it up to being a poor interview. No clue why my experience isnt getting me hired.
I'd imagine it is for the same reasons we have: uncertainty - he's not a head coach currently so even if everything adds up on paper, it's a risk and some people are risk-averse in hiring, especially for top HC positions. He interviewed for the Cleveland job, they hired Beilein. Lakers hired Vogel. Minnesota is keeping Saunders. All things being equal all of those guys had head coaching experience and track records (limited in Saunders case but he's been with the org since 2014 so there's a track record there). Someone was going to give Howard a shot soon if not this year, it's just a matter of a GM giving him a chance. Don't think it means he's got issues holding him back.
May all our coaches be JHs.
Why is Jim Halpert from the Office reporting this?
Jim had a decent mid-range game and proved to be a tough defender locking down Roy. I think with a visit to Camp Sanderson, he could have contributed solid bench minutes at the 2.
CBB recruiting guys were saying Michigan tried recruiting Halpert, but he and Stanley Hudson were a package deal. IMO, Michigan can't take the risk of developing a 2-star like Hudson. Great strength, but poor work ethic and does not have a great handle.
How many Stanley Nickels would it take to get Halpert here?
I didn't realize Flip had a son who was coaching in the NBA.
It's almost like there were factors beyond "Warde is a big dumb fat ass who doesn't know how to run a search like ME, internet denizen who is angry".
My guess is he gets the offer tomorrow and we see where it goes. Of all the options available now, he's probably the best if the AD doesn't believe Washington or Yaklich are ready (and it certainly appears that's the case).
UM basketball is about to change again. It is a forgone conclusion with the coaching change. I have liked JH’s chances from the start. Options create opportunities, and one hopes this option creates an opportunity we caught at the right time.
Alright, so barring a massive breakdown in the interview, it seems like Howard to Michigan is basically happening.
The guy is a huge wildcard, and if he's any good, I'm willing to bet we'll be looking for another coach again in 3-5 years when he leaves for the NBA. But I'm really curious to see what he can do. It is his alma mater so he has an added incentive to do well here and not tarnish his legacy. And he's been, by all accounts, a great assistant in the NBA, so he appears to be doing something right down in Miami.