Big Ten Media Days: Michigan's Juwan Howard Talks About New Indiana Coach Mike Woodson
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Juwan Howard came home to Michigan after years in the NBA, and despite all the concerns, it's gone great at Ann Arbor. His team was ranked in the top-four in the country last year, and he's had top-two recruiting classes as well.
Concerns? Please. It's gone well there so far.
Indiana is hoping the same thing happens with the return of Mike Woodson, who played and coached in the NBA for four decades. Howard talked about his memories of Woodson through the years, and how he's looking forward to having Woodson coaching in the Big Ten ... sort of.
"He's going to be another coach, along with the other coaches in the Big Ten, that keep me up at night trying to see how we're going to scout against his group and prepare for his team,'' Howard said during his interview time on Thursday morning at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in downtown Indianapolis. "I expect that with the Indiana University on how his team is going to play this season. He's a smart coach, a hard worker. What he's learned from the NBA, not saying he's going to do everything he did over his years coaching in the NBA, but it shows the guy knows basketball, I know his team is going to be competing from start to finish.''
A lot was made when Howard came back to Michigan after all the years in the NBA. He talked about the adjustment and the most important things he learned in making that adjustment.
"The first thing I learned when I came from NBA to the college level was getting to know everyone in the building, knowing the names of the managers, getting to know the folks that runs the building, keep the place clean and safe for us,'' Howard said. "The second adjustment was the recruiting. The recruiting was a lot different. Coming from the NBA, everyone comes to you. Now you have to sell your program, you have to sell yourself, the vision, the culture. The recruiting was an adjustment.''
Howard said he first got to know Woodson when he was playing in the NBA while Woodson was the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks.
"The best Mike Woodson story I would say would be back when Coach Woodson was in Atlanta and he was coaching the Atlanta Hawks,'' Howard said. "I was playing for the Charlotte, at that time, Bobcats.
"Coach Woodson had an amazing, talented group, played in the NBA for so many years, and had success while doing it. He's always had a very competitive team that plays hard from start to finish. I expect more of the same at Indiana.''
Howard played at Michigan from 1991 to 1994 and was part of the Wolverines' "Fab Five that made it to two NCAA title games, losing to Duke in 1992 and North Carolina in 1993.
He played 18 years in the NBA, playing in more than 1,200 games and winning two NBA titles with the Miami Heat in 2012 and 2013. He coached in the NBA as well before getting hired by Michigan in May of 2019.
