Michigan Basketball, Juwan Howard get statement win over North Carolina

There were some skeptics when Michigan basketball hired Juwan Howard to be its head coach, but after beating sixth-ranked UNC, there shouldn’t be anymore.

Heading into the Battle 4 Atlantis, it was hard to know what to expect from this year’s Michigan basketball team.

What we did know was that the Wolverines were going to be tested, not just by first-round opponent Iowa State, but possibly North Carolina and others if they kept winning.

Well, after two days of basketball in the Bahamas, it looks like the Wolverines are one of the Big Ten’s best. First, there was the win over Iowa State, then an impressive 73-64 win over North Carolina, a game Michigan led at one point by 24 over the No. 6 team in the country.

Yes, the concerns some had about Howard being hired as the head coach are gone. In fact, they look foolish. Already, his team has beaten three clubs ranked in the top-50 of the Kenpom rankings and there is no doubt North Carolina is elite.

After the way the Wolverines beat the Tar Heels, maybe they are too. We will find out even more in the championship game on Friday (2 PM EST) against either Gonzaga or Oregon.

Yet, it wasn’t just that Michigan beat North Carolina, it was the way the Wolverines did it.

Eli Brooks was the leading scorer and the junior showed once again how he has transformed his game. He was 9-of-14 from the field and made four 3-pointers. He also ran the point late along with David DeJulius after Zavier Simpson fouled out.

Speaking of DeJulius, he’s been another revelation.

The sophomore got some extended run in the first half because of Simpson getting two early fouls and he didn’t disappoint.

After scoring 14 points Wednesday, the 6-foot guard continued to show his ability to light it up off the bench with 11 points including a first-half triple.

While Simpson didn’t see the floor much, he did manage seven points, six assists and a steal. Jon Teske was also huge on both ends of the floor, compiling 10 points, four blocks and eight rebounds. He also made two huge 3-pointers in the second half.

On top of that, Isaiah Livers scored 12 points in a sloppy effort. However, when it mattered most, he made some big buckets as North Carolina cut a 24-point deficit down to seven.

In the end though, Michigan executed down the stretch. Brooks made a three with just over a minute left and that was the dagger.

And while Howard and his staff certainly deserve credit for the play of guys like Brooks, DeJulius, Colin Castleton and others, players like Eli Brooks should get their due. They put in the work and it showed Thursday in what was a statement win for the Wolverines.