Michigan Basketball: Who are the Florida State Seminoles?
The Michigan Basketball team has punched its ticket to its fourth consecutive Sweet Sixteen. It has already defeated Texas Southern and LSU in the first two rounds of the 2021 NCAA Tournament and is now set to take on Florida State. This will undoubtedly be the Wolverines’ toughest challenge thus far in “The Big Dance.”
The Michigan Basketball program finds itself in a familiar spot — the Sweet Sixteen. However, this is uncharted territory for Head Coach Juwan Howard. He has been here before as a player, but never as the headman.
After passing the previous two tests in this tournament with flying colors, I would expect more of the same on Sunday as he takes on a former mentor of his in FSU’s Leonard Hamilton.
Hamilton coached Howard when he played for the Washington Wizards from 2000-2001, and it is well documented that Juwan looked up to him as he made his transition from NBA assistant to college head coach. As Andrew Kahn of mlive.com put it, Juwan Howard considers Hamilton a “friend, a mentor, and a father figure.”
Michigan coach Juwan Howard (48) considers Florida State's Leonard Hamilton (72) a friend, a mentor, and a father figure.
— Andrew Kahn (@AndrewKahn) March 25, 2021
Hamilton is not all surprised by Howard's success.
The two will face each other in the Sweet 16.https://t.co/tyEI0nnL5m
Facing off against a coach who knows Howard so well will present challenges, unlike anything he has faced as of yet as a head coach. He will need to be spot on with his adjustments and counters on Sunday against what could be the most athletic team that the Wolverines have taken on all season.
On that note, let’s break down who these Florida State Seminoles are and how they will attempt to end what has been a magical 2021 campaign for the Michigan Wolverines.