When his team needed a spark 48 hours after a hard loss, Michigan coach Juwan Howard turned to a rival: NBA standout Draymond Green and former Michigan State star.
Howard said he used a video of Green Trash talking to the Wolverines to help motivate his team ahead of their 69-50 victory over the Spartans on Thursday, sealing the first Big Ten title since 2014.
In the video, for players, Green said he hoped Michigan would “never” win a game, showing the intensity of the rivalry between the two schools.
“I had a little video that I wanted the boys to listen to,” Howard said after the game. “I think they really enjoyed seeing it and hearing the words being said.”
Fab Five star and second-year coach did not reveal details about the video or its origins, but his players said it was a boost for a team that entered Thursday’s game in hopes of to Forget Wednesday’s 76-53 Defeat in Illinois. squad that played without Ayo Dosunmu.
“I found it amazing and it’s even worse to do it against Michigan State,” said Mike Smith, a Columbia graduate who scored nine points in the win, his first Michigan-Michigan rivalry game. State. “The coach showed us a video of Draymond Green. He just said he wished we would never win a game. That shows how aggressive that game is.”
Howard, now a strong candidate for national coach of the year after leading his team to his first Big Ten title in seven years, has been up to the hype, demonstrated by his career this season and their success in recruiting. The team’s two losses this season (in Minnesota in January and Tuesday against Illinois) feel atypical for a program that is projected to be No. 1 seed on selection Sunday.
“It’s gratifying,” Howard said of his team’s conference title, which included a three-week break due to coronavirus safety and health protocols. “We didn’t make excuses. We rolled up our sleeves and fixed it along the way. A lot of things were thrown our way, but we didn’t excuse them.”
Isaiah Livers, who retired from the NBA draft last summer and returned to Michigan, kissed on the court at Crisler Arena after going to the bench in the final minutes of Thursday’s game. The senior said the Wolverines’ “journey” is not over because they have bigger dreams they hope to achieve in the coming weeks, including a national championship.
“The Big Ten title … that’s a big hit for me,” Livers said after the game. “We all play like brothers. I want the bastard [national championship], too. We’re going to win a Big Ten championship, we’re going to do a March Madness race and, with our fingers crossed, we’re going to do that bastard. ”
Howard laughed when asked to use a rival to inspire his team, but also added that he respects Green. When he was an NBA assistant coach, Howard said, he sidestepped Green before a game and told him he respected his way of playing.
“Draymond,” Howard said, “is a Hall of Fame, in my opinion, at some point when he’s finished playing.”
On Thursday, however, the highlight of the Golden State Warriors was simply the motivation of an old enemy.