Michigan Basketball: 3 things we learned from Juwan Howard’s debut

Michigan basketball took the floor in its first game under head coach Juwan Howard and here are three things we learned in the win vs Appalachian State.

By the time that the game between Michigan basketball and Appalachian State was over Tuesday night, Wolverines fans were probably asking that the University never schedule the Mountaineers in athletics again.

We all remember the dreadful loss on the football field 12 years ago when a blocked kick at the end of the game made App State a household name. Last night, despite trailing by 28 at one point and by 24 with around nine minutes left after Adrien Nunez buried a 3-pointer, the Mountaineers got within four points in the final minute.

It was a strange performance that showed the Wolverines have a long way to go and that they also desperately need the offense of Franz Wagner. UM finished with 79 points in the 79-71 win, however, there were some disturbing signs, such as turnovers and missed free throws late.

The Wolverines played well enough to avoid a loss in Juwan Howard‘s opening game, but a big test looms next week against Creighton and it’s a matchup that will be tough to win unless Michigan basketball can correct some of its mistakes.

There were some positive things though and had Michigan been able to maintain its big lead, we’d feel much differently this morning, so let’s dive into three things we learned in Howard’s debut at Crisler Center as head coach.