The Michigan suspending head coach Juwan Howard for the remainder of the regular season was discussed by LaPhonso Ellis and Seth Greenberg. (0:56)
Michigan coach Juwan Howard was suspended for the rest of the season on Monday night for hitting Wisconsin assistant Joe Krabbenhoft in the handshake line after the Badgers beat the Michigan on Sunday. The Michigan players and the Wisconsin players were all suspended for one game for their roles in the brawl. Greg Gard was fined $10,000 for the incident.
Myron Medcalf, Jeff Borzello and John Gasaway were on the college basketball team and weighed in on the appropriateness of the punishment, the way forward for Michigan and Howard, and the necessary next steps for college basketball.
The penalty for Howard makes sense. We haven't seen many situations like that in college basketball. I think the suspension might have been extended because of Howard's reaction after the game. In the postgame press conference, Howard missed his chance to say "my bad" and that probably cost him with league and school officials. I would not have been surprised if Gard had been suspended. Gard aggressively grabbed Howard as Howard said "Don't touch me" in the video.
I don't think the players should have been suspended. It is difficult for me to place the burden on the student-athletes when the coaches lose their cool. We are mostly talking about Howard's actions because a punch is a punch. On the first non-NFL Sunday of 2022, this all unfolded on national network TV. That hurts the sport. The postgame incident on Sunday is the most important story in our sport. Every story about college basketball will be centered on Howard when he returns. It is not good for anyone involved. The greatest event in sports is weeks away.
The penalty is appropriate. Most sources around the sport thought that the range for Howard would be the rest of the regular season and the playoffs. Nobody thought firing should be on the table. I thought five games would make sense. The Big Ten tournament could have been added to the regular season if the UM had three games left. Howard has a history with confrontations with his coach. I thought Gard might get a game because Myron notes that he wasn't blameless, but I don't think zero is inappropriate. The players who were suspended threw punches.
Michigan coach Juwan Howard struck Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft in the handshake line after the game.
If the biggest implication for college basketball is changing the mandatory handshake line, I am all-in for that. I think the sport would thrive without the handshake line. Wave and retreat to your locker rooms. There is plenty of time before and after games for you to hug, exchange pleasantries, and catch up.
The penalty is appropriate. When your team is playing for a tournament bid, missing five games in February and March is a serious blow. One implication for college basketball is that every coach has seen at least one instance where a disagreement over the rules resulted in a physical altercation. We have all seen coaches argue with each other because of a late timeout or dunk, or brush past each other in the handshake line. A certain segment of fans like to debate the nuances of basketballiquette in garbage time, and coaches are sensitive to those perceived slights. This time it got physical. The resolution could be a reminder of handshake line common sense. Shake hands, frown and agree to disagree before walking away.
Howard not apologizing on Sunday night was a mistake, but doing so on Monday night was a step in the right direction. Unless this becomes a regular occurrence in Howard's career, it will be overshadowed. He had a run-in with Mark Turgeon at the Big Ten tournament, but he didn't have an erratic reputation in his playing days so I don't think it will happen again. People will focus more on the on-court successes if he continues to win and recruit like he has. The incident on Sunday night will be a major talking point for the foreseeable future, and he will have a spotlight on him moving forward.
Howard can come back from this by winning and staying away from anything that resembles what happened in Madison. The head coach of the University of Michigan can be very angry with his colleagues, but he doesn't have to cross the line again. Howard's record speaks for itself if he can avoid five-game suspensions in the future. He came within a 3-pointer of the Final Four in his second season. He brought in one of the nation's strongest recruiting classes in the fall of his third year. The man can coach.
Jay Williams was in the handshake line between Michigan and Wisconsin.
We are talking about Rick Pitino possibly getting another Power 5 job, Will Wade still coaching after a strong-ass offer was leaked, and Bruce Pearl possibly being national coach of the year. Reputations can be fixed. Clearly. Howard is a coach at a school where he was once a star. He will be protected from the backlash in ways that another coach might not be. This is easy to understand. If Howard succeeds, this will be something that no longer matters to him. He apologized before his first press conference at the Big Ten tournament and I think he will say the right things when he returns. The fear is that the athletic director has given him a speech. People are going to watch him differently now. Winning makes bad days disappear. It can happen to Howard.
The two suspended players will miss a home game with Rutgers. That is an important game for Michigan, and they close at home with Illinois, Michigan State and Iowa before going to Ohio State. At the moment, UM is very likely right on the cut line for the field of 68. The stakes are not large. When playing for an acting coach, we have seen teams draw together, and maybe that will be the case with the UM team. I want to see the first game where the suspensions are being served. Michigan could really use that win against the Scarlet Knights because it will still feel strange and new.
Juwan Howard and Greg Gard explain their sides of the story about what happened during the handshake line.
This is a big development for the team that is trying to get into the NCAA tournament. Two of Michigan's last three games, losses to Ohio State and Wisconsin, did not look like an NCAA tournament team. The upcoming stretch that includes a hot Rutgers squad, Illinois, Michigan State, a feisty Iowa team and Ohio State could ruin any at-large hopes for this team that now has to move forward without its head coach. Ask Louisville if life is the same without your head coach. Everything can be changed by it. Michigan has a 7-4 record in its last 11 games. Even without Diabate and Williams, this is a talented squad. Two weeks ago, the UM beat a legit national title contender. They can pick up a few wins before Howard comes back. They could enter the Big Ten tournament in desperation if things fall apart.
Losing your head coach for five games, a starting forward for one game, and a rotation piece for one game is not good for a team on the bubble. The schedule is favorable for Michigan because they have four home games before ending the season on the road at Ohio State. All five remaining opponents are likely to be in the NCAA tournament. The game at Rutgers will be missed by Diabate and Williams. The best game of Diabate's college career was against Iowa last week, where he had 28 points and eight boards. Phil Martelli is an experienced head coach and should keep things stable. In the next two weeks, Michigan has plenty of chances to improve, and I think they will get enough wins to get into the Big Ten tournament.
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