The Impact Of Juwan Howard's Early Success On Jim Harbaugh
While the current excitement for Juwan Howard and the basketball program is certainly warranted, it’s worth reminding ourselves that Jim Harbaugh was also on a very similar path during his second year in Ann Arbor.
During the 2016 season, the Michigan Football program got off to a 9-0 start and spent all but two weeks of the regular season ranked within the AP top five. By the time Michigan traveled to Columbus for ‘The Game’, the Wolverines were the No. 3 in the nation with a shot at the Big Ten title and a spot in the College Football Playoff. Though the season ultimately ended with the Wolverines coming up empty handed, the excitement surrounding the football program at the end of year two is eerily similar to what Michigan fans are currently experiencing with the basketball program.
There is, however, one key difference.
The Michigan Football program typically has no problem beating up on the teams they're supposed to beat - teams like Rutgers, Illinois, Maryland, Indiana, etc. Where Michigan really struggles under the leadership of Harbaugh is when they match up with other top-tier programs. During Harbaugh's first six years in Ann Arbor, the Wolverines are just 2-10 against top ten teams and have never won as an underdog.
The Michigan Basketball program, on the other hand, seems to rise to the challenge under the leadership of Juwan Howard. Following Michigan's recent blowout win over No. 9 Wisconsin on Tuesday night, it was noted by many within the fan base that Howard (in year two) had already surpassed Harbaugh (entering year seven) in top ten wins. During his first year in Ann Arbor, Howard coached the Wolverines to back-to-back top ten wins against No. 6 North Carolina and then the following week against No. 8 Gonzaga. The latest win against No. 9 Wisconsin gave Howard his third top ten win, while Harbaugh still remains at two.
The recent win against the Badgers also provided another notable achievement for Howard in just his second season, as the Wolverines became the first team in college basketball history to defeat three ranked teams in a row by 19 or more points. Though this record doesn't do anything to fill the trophy case, it does provide further evidence that the basketball program is continuing to rise to the challenge against top-level competition.
Howard has also found ways to win big off of the court, particularly on the recruiting trail. As it currently stands, Howard has assembled the No. 1 rated 2021 recruiting class nation. During his first year, he assembled the No. 1 rated class within the Big Ten (No. 14 nationally) and identified significant talent via the transfer portal in guys like Chaundee Brown and Mike Smith.
Make no mistake, this is a well-coached basketball team with phenomenal chemistry and a killer instinct. Juwan Howard is building something special in Ann Arbor.
As a result, the early success of Howard has many within the fan base suggesting that Michigan is officially a "Basketball School" now. They are also beginning to question why Howard is able to succeed while Harbaugh continues to struggle year after year. Though the comparison might not quite be apples to apples (Howard doesn't have to deal with Ohio State), it doesn't change the fact that fans are taking notice of Howard's early success and using it as a further indictment of Jim Harbaugh.
