Michigan Basketball: Juwan Howard ‘a great coach,’ says Isaiah Livers

Isaiah Livers is back and in a recent interview, he had some remarkable things to say about Michigan basketball’s head coach.

Isaiah Livers is back for his final season as a Michigan basketball player and one of the reasons for his return is the Wolverines second-year head coach, Juwan Howard.

“I didn’t have the season that I wanted to have due to injuries and just everything that was going on, so it was real tough; it can really weigh on your mind, but having Coach Howard and the coaching staff, they really helped me stay sane during this process,” Livers said to Andy Katz of the Big Ten Network. 

For Livers and the team, Juwan didn’t arrive on campus and start barking orders, he gained the trust of his men by treating them as if they were family. That feeling and Howard’s coaching ability won the team over quickly.

“Most importantly, the No. 1 core value Coach Howard brought was family,” Isaiah said.

Isaiah was testing the draft waters, which he noted is not like the normal draft process. There aren’t the typical in-person workouts; only zoom calls and no guarantees.

Livers eventually realized the best place for him was in Ann Arbor. A place where he could finish his degree and work towards building his draft stock. Injuries sidelined him during his junior year and that time off cooled the interest of NBA scouts.

At one point, Isaiah was completing nearly 50 percent of his 3-point attempts and by the time the Big Ten Tournament was canceled, that was down to 40 percent.

The Wolverines struggled later on in conference play, suffering a four-game losing streak, and Isaiah knew that if he came back, this team could be something special.

While he knows there’s unfinished business in Crisler, Isaiah also knows the Wolverines picked the right coach; a great coach.

"“There’s just something about him; he’s so energized, he’s a people person. He was a great player, has a lot of knowledge and he’s a great coach, so I’m excited to be with him for a second year.”"

Although the choice to come back to school was easy, the transition to a world in the midst of a pandemic hasn’t been a cakewalk. The restrictions in place significantly altered the daily life of a college kid. No more open gym; no more unplanned visits to the court.

UM is doing everything they can to ensure the safety of their students and Isaiah outlined the procedures.

"“Only a certain amount of people can be in the gym at one time, so it’s kind of like if there’s 10 in the gym, there can’t be 11,” Livers explained. “Someone has to get out of the gym. But I think Michigan is definitely doing a great job of controlling it.”"

New team with a lot of talent

The starting center and point guard are gone, but the cupboard isn’t exactly bare. Isaiah’s “great coach” was able to secure the services of an experienced floor general, the possibility of a top tier shooting guard (if a waiver is granted), and the No.1 recruiting conference recruiting class.

UM is now certainly a contender for the Big Ten championship with Livers back and a Team to watch when the NCAA tournament arrives.