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3 Michigan basketball players in for a big game vs. Iowa

Michigan basketball is going to need a big game out of some of their stars if they want to beat the Hawkeyes.

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University of Michigan men's basketball coach Juwan Howard makes his first public comments to the press since his suspension during a press conference at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, March 9, 2022.

As Michigan basketball prepares for their battle versus Iowa tonight, there’s no doubt they are in need of a big game. While the Hawkeyes aren’t necessarily having the best season, Michigan isn’t either.

The teams will battle it out on the court at 7:00 p.m. EST and no matter the outcome, all fans are sure to be in for an absolute show.

Hunter Dickinson

This has to have been the most obvious choice I could have made, but Hunter Dickinson is by far the most important player for Michigan basketball tonight.

When Dickinson is at his best, the Michigan basketball team is at its best. Not only does this ring true on offense but defense as well, as Dickinson currently leads the team in points-per-game (18.7), rebounds-per-game (8.2), and blocks-per-game (1.7).

The offense runs through him, and generally, if he struggles to get the ball, the offense struggles to score. The team has plenty of playmakers, but Dickinson is by far the biggest one, both literally and figuratively.

On the defensive side, Dickinson will need to not only get rebounds but also shut down the middle of the paint. If the Wolverines are to come away tonight with a victory, it will be because they prevented any easy baskets for Iowa and fed Dickinson the ball.

Jace Howard

This game could go one of two different ways. Either Michigan basketball will accept this game as a shootout and leave their offensive specialists in, or they will take a more defensive approach.

If the Wolverines elect to take the latter approach, expect Jace Howard to see more minutes than usual. On the season, Howard is averaging around 7.7 minutes per game, but if he’s going to get an increase in minutes in any game, I could easily see this being the one.

Howard is widely known as one of the best defenders on the team, and his talents may very well be needed against a team like Iowa. The star of the show for the Hawkeyes is star forward Kris Murray. Murray is averaging around 20.9 points per game and has scored as many as 32 points in one outing.

The Wolverines will need all hands on deck to keep him contained, and Howard very well may be the man to do it.

Joey Baker

If Joey Baker is going to have a breakout game at any point soon, this would be the game to have it. Iowa has one of the best offenses in all of college basketball, and if Michigan wants to beat them, they will need to score against them.

Iowa currently ranks 22nd in scoring offense (81.4 ppg), while Michigan ranks just 120th (74.9 ppg). On the flip side, Iowa is ranked 251st in scoring defense (72.1 ppg), while Michigan ranks slightly ahead at 173rd overall (68.7 ppg).

If the Wolverines are to take down the Hawkeyes, they will need to take advantage of Iowa’s less-than-stellar defense. Iowa currently sits at 10-6, and they have scored over 80 points in eight of their games so far.

This is where Baker comes in. He is by far the Wolverines’ best 3-point specialist on the team, and if Dickinson can work his magic in the paint, open shots will be more than available to Baker. We know he can knock his shots down with the best of them at this point, but he needs the minutes to prove it.

If these three players have big games tonight, expect the Wolverines to come away with the win versus the Hawkeyes. This would be huge if Michigan basketball can pull it off. The Wolverines scored just 53 points in their most recent outing against Michigan State, so a big offensive performance would do wonders for this team.

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BREAKING: Juwan Howard has surgery, Martelli to assume interim coach role

BREAKING: Michigan basketball head coach Juwan Howard has successful surgery. Phil Martelli to take over as interim head coach.

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Juwan Howard, Michigan basketball, Phil Martelli
Mar 5, 2023; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Juwan Howard in the first half against the Indiana Hoosiers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Today, news broke that Michigan basketball head coach Juwan Howard, who is entering his fourth season at the helm in Ann Arbor, had open heart surgery over the offseason. With Howard recovering, long-time assistant Phil Martelli is slated to be the Wolverines’ interim head coach to open the 2023-24 season, which is fast approaching.

Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard has heart surgery, Phil Martelli to serve as interim coach

The 2023-24 Michigan basketball season will look a little different later this year, as Phil Martelli will be stepping in as interim head coach. Today, it was confirmed that Juwan Howard — the team’s full-time head coach — is recovering from heart surgery right now.

“I feel so grateful and blessed that this surgery was performed at University of Michigan Health,” said Howard in a statement. “My wife, Jenine, and our family appreciate the world-class care that has been provided to us. Dr. (Kim) Eagle, Dr. (Himanshu) Patel, Dr. (Stanley) Chetcuti, and all of the staff at the Frankel Cardiovascular Center are so talented and performed like champions throughout this process. I am going to work very hard in my rehabilitation to be stronger than ever by the time our upcoming season is upon us.”

Michigan Athletic Director Warde Manuel added the following:

“We are extremely grateful Juwan’s proactive procedure was a success and that he is resting comfortably,” said Warde Manuel. “We will continue to support Juwan, Jenine and his family as well as the program throughout his absence. All of us at the athletic department have Juwan in our thoughts and prayers. We look forward to Juwan’s return when he feels that he has fully recovered.”

It is expected that Juwan Howard will return to the court as head coach for Michigan basketball later in the season.



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Elite Michigan basketball target will be in Ann Arbor tomorrow

Tomorrow, an elite Michigan basketball target (2024 recruiting class) will be in Ann Arbor for his first-ever visit with the Wolverines.

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Michigan basketball, recruiting, No. 1 recruit in Virginia, Juwan Howard
© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Juwan Howard and his Wolverines will be hosting Patrick Ngongba, an elite Michigan basketball target in the 2024 recruiting class, shortly. Ngongba, the No. 1 recruit in Virginia, has the Maize and Blue among his finalists and will be making the trip to Ann Arbor tomorrow (September 8th).

Elite Michigan basketball target about to be in Ann Arbor

While the 2023 Michigan Wolverines football season is now in full swing and has the attention of the entire fanbase, it’s worth noting that Juwan Howard and the Maize and Blue are hot on the recruiting trail in the 2024 recruiting class and beyond. After a tough 2022-23 season, Howard needs some good news to right the ship in Ann Arbor — tomorrow, he will have a massive opportunity to get one step closer to landing an elite recruit.

Patrick Ngongba is the No. 1 recruit in Virginia (for the 2024 recruiting class) and is an elite Michigan basketball target. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound center is an ESPN five-star prospect and is ranked among the top 30 players in the country in the composite rankings. So far, Juwan Howard has landed two prospects in the 2024 cycle, neither of which is rated anywhere close to Patrick Ngongba in the composite standings.

Can Juwan Howard land Patrick Ngongba in the 2024 recruiting class?

For the time being, Michigan basketball appears to be on the outside looking in ahead of Patrick Ngongba’s visit tomorrow — Duke and Kansas State currently have the best odds of landing him, per the Recruiting Prediction Machine. That said, Juwan Howard is a solid recruiter, and a visit to Ann Arbor, MI, ahead of a football game weekend could be a difference-maker for the Wolverines down the stretch.

According to the On3 visit tracker, tomorrow will be the first time that Michigan basketball gets the No. 1 recruit in Virginia on campus. This further showcases how important the visit will be for the Wolverines if Juwan Howard expects to have a shot against some of the other major programs vying for his commitment.

***If you missed it, Tom Brady is searching for the biggest Michigan fan! We have a great series going right now as a part of our Fan Flex challenge series — below is the link to our latest challenge! Among this week’s prizes includes an invite to the Blue by Ninety tailgate and a Blue by Ninety beer (for those of age) See the link below for more!

LINK: https://autograph.outgrow.us/blueby90-3



Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!

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Michigan basketball recruiting will host No. 1 point guard in September

Michigan basketball recruiting will host the No. 1 point guard of the 2025 class for an official visit.

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Michigan basketball recruiting No. 1 point guard
© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

Michigan basketball is coming off of its most disappointing season of the Juwan Howard era. After missing the national tournament for the first time since taking over as head coach, Howard is already looking ahead to the future to right the ship for the Wolverines. Recently, Joe Tipton of On3 Sports announced that Darius Acuff — currently the No. 1 point guard of the 2025 recruiting class — will visit Ann Arbor in early September.

Michigan basketball recruiting will host official visit for No. 1 point guard Darius Acuff

Michigan basketball has a huge opportunity to lock down an elite prospect this September. Acuff’s official Ann Arbor visit will reportedly last from September 1-3.

Acuff is among the nation’s best and currently holds the No. 1 On3 industry ranking among point guards in the 2025 class. Across all positions, the six-foot point guard is the No. 9 industry-ranked player in the country.

Acuff is originally from Detroit, MI and played basketball at Cass Tech before recently transferring to IMG Academy in Florida. Michigan basketball currently holds the lead on Acuff’s recruitment on On3’s recruiting prediction machine with a 45.4 percent chance. Also in contention for Acuff’s recruitment are Kentucky, Michigan State, and Ohio State.

While Michigan basketball lost lots of talent this offseason, the recruiting game has been heating up as well. Landing a top-tier talent like Acuff could be just what the Wolverines need to build their recruiting momentum.



Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on TwitterFacebook, and InstagramYou can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. 

Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple PodcastsSpotify, and all other streaming platforms. It is because of your support that we have become one of the fastest-growing and most influential Michigan media outlets there is!

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