Michigan Basketball: 3 reasons Juwan Howard isn’t leaving
By Alex Hinton
He enjoys recruiting
Most coaches with ties to the NBA don’t enjoy the rigorous grind of recruiting. It’s why Billy Donovan remains in the NBA despite being a two-time national champion at the college level. Howard, on the other hand, has embraced it. Howard has been able to tap into numerous connections around the country and connect with his players and their families.
Under John Beilein, Michigan occasionally landed big-time recruits. However, for the most part, Beilein found under-the-radar gems and developed them. The plan was usually successful, but Howard has increased the caliber of player that Michigan is bringing in.
In 2020, Michigan landed the #14 recruiting class in the country according to 247sports, highlighted by All-American Hunter Dickinson.
Should Dickinson return, Michigan will be one of the short favorites to cut down the nets in 2022. That is because Michigan is bringing in the nation’s #1 recruiting class highlighted by five stars Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabete.
Michigan has not landed any commitments in the class of 2022, but if the crystal ball proves to be correct, that will not be the case for much longer.