Michigan Basketball: 3 takeaways from a poverty-riddled season

Juwan Howard's worst season in his entire basketball career is mercifully over. They finished the 2024 part of the schedule with just two wins. Fans are clamoring for Howard's head on a platter but may not get it. Warde Manuel has some serious homework to do to get this once proud tradition, not so long ago either, back to national prominence.

Here are three of the takeaways.

1. The Long Beach State loss ignited the fire

It started off on November 7th with a 25 point win over an NCAA tournament team from 2022-23. It was followed up by a 30 point runaway victory over Youngstown State. Then Michigan basketball went to Madison Square Garden and looked invincible. They were 3-0, riding high and no one knew how bad it would get from there.

Michigan's defense gave up a season-high 35 to Marcus Tsohonis and Long Beach State came in to the Crisler center and won. The Beach is currently 18-14, with a date circled against UC Riverside on Thursday night. With one of their most promising wins in program history in check, they just fired their coach. Juwan Howard was not on the sidelines at they point yet. The Wolverines only won five more times and set a record for program futility. Something has to give.