After a near 30-point loss at Illinois, Michigan basketball is a paltry 8-17 overall and just 3-11 in conference — dead last in the Big Ten. Many people are questioning Juwan Howard's ability to run a program after a steady decline over the last few years and some think it's time for some new blood. Warde Manuel, apparently, is not one of them.
“It would be fair to say that I have not really thought about any changes in our men’s basketball program at this time,” Manuel said on a Zoom call. “It’s one of those things that; I guess I can’t say it any clearer; I want to support Juwan to be successful and have not given any moment or thought of anything about changes at this time. And so my support is of him, of our student-athletes, and our staff.
"We’ll continue to support him in our program and continue to be there for him."
I know most leaders — whether it's coaches or athletic directors when it comes to sports — have to put on a smile and say nice things in the face of adversity, but this just feels like such a kick in the teeth. Everyone paying attention to the Michigan basketball program realizes that there are major issues right now. Throw in the consistent decline over the past few seasons, Howard's inappropriate behavior at times and his health, and it feels like it's time to move on. Maybe Manuel really thinks that too, but he certainly isn't acting like it. Obviously actions speak louder than words, so it'll be interesting to see what happens once the hoops season is over.
So in conclusion, Manuel is either feeding a line of bull to the media or he really doesn't think anything is wrong, which would signal incompetence. I would never expect Manuel to take the podium and say, "Juwan is really blowing it and we're already looking for his replacement," but I do think he could be a little more transparent and honest about the current state of the program. Recognizing that there's an issue and addressing it publicly when you're asked about it directly isn't illegal in the world of sports. Sometimes it seems that way at Michigan and Manuel is a major reason why.
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