After many ups and downs this season, the Michigan Wolverines are struck with another blow as sophomore guard Dug McDaniel has been suspended for six games. Juwan Howard and company will look to navigate this major loss as they look to turn their season around at the start of conference play.
How Dug McDaniel’s Suspension Impacts Michigan Basketball
The most eye-opening detail of the story is that McDaniel’s suspension will only be for road games. He will miss games against Maryland, Purdue, Michigan State, Nebraska, Illinois, and Northwestern. His next game on the road will be at Rutgers on February 29th. The school announced that the suspension was due to academic reasons and Coach Howard stated that when the team is away McDaniel “will work toward meeting several academic goals he has set and needs to meet”.
On-Court Impact
McDaniel has been Michigan’s best player this season. He averages 17 points per game and is the team’s number-one scoring option. The team’s backup point guard is Jaelin Llewellyn, who transferred from Princeton next year and started eight games before being injured. He was a solid player at Princeton who averaged 13.7 points per game over three years.
Forward Olivier Nkahmoua will need to become the number-one scoring option for the Wolverines. The Tennessee transfer is averaging 16.8 points per game, which is very good. If he can improve by a few points a game, Michigan may be able to withstand the blow of losing McDaniel
Off-Court Impact
While his loss on the court is very important, the impact of McDaniel’s suspension may be even bigger off the court. As previously mentioned, Michigan has struggled this season. Howard has found himself squarely on the hot seat after an incident with a coach. Losing your best player for a long stretch of the season will not help Howard save his job.
Finally, this could ultimately lead to the transfer of McDaniel as well as other players. While this part is a bit of speculation, it is not unthinkable that this could happen. McDaniel could feel disrespected by the program and if Howard is fired he may want to leave. This could also lead to the decommitments and transfers of other players.
The Reality of the Situation
McDaniel’s suspension is truly bizarre and will certainly have many ramifications on the Michigan basketball program. If Howard is able to navigate this loss, he will likely keep his job. But, if he is unsuccessful he could be fired and Michigan basketball could be in for a major setback.
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