Stephen A. Smith is happy that Juwan Howard wasn't fired. The time is 2:1.
A Michigan athletics employee walked Phil Martelli to the news conference in a hallway in the center. She asked if you needed me more than once. Can I do anything?
He assured her that he was fine. He strode into the room and toward the podium.
I know what I am doing. He said Tuesday that he had done this before.
The 67-year-old, who has spent nearly four decades in big-time college basketball, will fill in for Michigan coach Juwan Howard for the rest of the season. The Big Ten Conference fined Howard $40,000 and suspended him for five games after he hit a Wisconsin assistant coach in the head.
After the team started the season with high expectations, Martelli wants to bolster the chances of an NCAA tournament bid. Michigan will host Rutgers on Wednesday night in his first game.
After 24 years as a coach, including 10 as an assistant, and three as an associate head coach, Michigan associate head coach Phil Martelli is no stranger to leading a team through late-season pressure. He said his approach will be to follow the path created by Howard.
The way we are going to play is what we have in place. I don't have that in my genes.
Howard will be out for a while, so assistant coach Howard Eisley will be in charge of the offense. Eisley will call sets from a huge and effective playbook that he and Howard have put together.
Michigan will continue to participate in postgame handshake lines.
He said, "Do not get rid of them, this is about more than basketball, it is about teaching young people lessons."
Howard, a former Michigan star and NBA All-Star who is the reigning Associated Press men's coach of the year, became upset after Gard called a timeout with 15 seconds left.
Gard tried to explain why he called the timeout when he grabbed Howard by the arm. As the two began to argue, Howard yelled and put his finger in Gard's face.
After the two coaches were separated, Howard swung his right hand and struck Wisconsin assistant Joe Krabbenhoft on the left side of the head with an open hand. The players on both sides got into a fight.
Howard apologized. The Michigan and Wisconsin players were suspended for one game each.
Diabate is second on the Michigan with 9.3 points per game. Williams is a reserve forward. The players that will be benched are Jace Howard and Brandon Johns Jr.
Brandon Johns is not a member of the team. We need the best Brandon Johns in order to beat Rutgers.
Saint Joseph's was within one win of the Final Four in 2004, and was named the AP men's coach of the year. He coached the Hawks to seven appearances in the NCAA Tournament. Jameer Nelson and Delonte West were part of the 2004 Hawks team.
Michigan will host Rutgers, Illinois, Michigan State, and Iowa in March.
The Big Ten Tournament begins in Indianapolis on March 9.
"I am not Juwan Howard, and I am going to be me," he said. There will be a chair there, but it will be for him. It won't be for me.
The report was contributed to by the Associated Press.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
