Michigan Basketball Defeats TCU, Continues Search for Consistency wiht young Roster
FORT WORTH, TX – Michigan basketball secured a 67-63 road victory against TCU on Friday, continuing a stretch of close games under coach Juwan Howard. The win comes as the Wolverines prepare for a challenging stretch of games, including a trip to las Vegas next week and a home contest against Villanova next month.
Michigan is 15-4 under Howard in games decided by four points or fewer, showcasing a knack for closing out tight contests – including a one-point overtime win earlier this season against Wake Forest. tho, the TCU game highlighted areas for enhancement as key players Aday Mara and Elliot Cadeau, who were instrumental in the Wake Forest victory, saw limited impact.
Howard acknowledged the team is still developing fundamental aspects of their game. “We’re still learning how to handle double teams, push the ball in transition and defend without fouling,” he said.
The Wolverines will face Middle Tennessee on Wednesday, a team currently 3-0 and ranked No. 147 by KenPom. Howard, who previously coached against Middle Tennessee’s coach Nicholas McDevitt during their shared time in Conference USA, anticipates a competitive matchup.”We had some great battles with him,” Howard said. “He’s a good basketball coach. that’s a good program. They’re going to be athletic… They’ll be able to spread us out and drive us.” Middle Tennessee recently limited opponents to just six offensive rebounds and three 3-pointers in a 77-72 win at Evansville.
Despite the ongoing progress, Howard remains focused on the bigger picture. “We don’t really want to scrap what we think is the best way for us to become (that) as people aren’t happy with the way the sausage is being made right now,” he stated, emphasizing a long-term approach geared towards peak performance in March.
