Michigan Lands Caleb Love As A Pivotal Year For Juwan Howard Approaches

Difficult Season in Ann Arbor

Michigan Basketball had the worst season since Juwan Howard took over for John Beilein in 2019. Michigan finished with a record of 18-16 and ended the season with a second round exit in the NIT Tournament with a loss to Vanderbilt. They never had a signature win and they had a brutal loss to Central Michigan early in the season that really derailed their confidence going forward.

Howard struggled to get the new top 10 recruiting class to mesh with everyone from the beginning. The youth showed throughout the year as Michigan struggled to close out games in the final minutes.

Program Departures

Michigan will be losing guards Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard to the NBA Draft as will forgo their remaining eligibility. In surprising move, team co-captain and program staple Hunter Dickinson has decided to transfer as well. Those three players accounted for 2/3 of Michigans scoring. Its unknown at this time where Dickinson will be transferring but he has taken a meeting with Kentucky.

Maryland just hired his high school coach as an assistant for the upcoming season, so that will be a school to watch for. Dickinson also gave no reason for his transfer portal decision but he is on track to graduate in the coming months so he may just want to finish his remaining two years of eligibility at a new school. It appears that the program will also lose last seasons grad transfer Joey Baker, as he will turn to professional basketball with hopes of getting drafted in June.

Program Arrivals

Coach Juwan Howard went hard for Caleb Love after he announced he was going to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal after being the leader of the North Carolina squad that made a run to the Final Four in 2022. He will bring scoring, shot creating and big game experience to this still youthful roster.

Michigan also snagged former five star Alabama transfer PG Nimari Bennett and rounded out with Seton Hall transfer PF Tray Jackson. Bothe Bennett and Jackson are expected to be bench players to bring some stability to the second unit, whereas PG Caleb Love will be the starter and leader of the team for the upcoming season.

Way Too Early Expectations

Yes, the season just ended last week but its never too early to begin on next seasons expectations. Its very simple, with the incoming youth and new transfers the expectations of making the NCAA tournament are not unrealistic. While the Big Ten will be stacked again with Purdue, Indiana and Michigan State expected to lead the pack again in the conference. Juwan has shown a great acumen for recruiting and building a program.

But at some point we have to see results better than an NIT berth with the recruits he is bringing in every year. He does have one Elite Eight appearance on his resume but those were also with a majority of the roster being John Beilein’s recruits. Without the 20-21 season Howards record is 56-43. The pressure is on in Ann Arbor and next year will be Howards most important season yet.

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