Juwan Howard has been suspended for the remainder of the regular season following his on court dustup with the Wisconsin Badgers. With only 5 games remaining on the regular season calendar, assistant coaches Saddi Washington & Phil Martelli will close out the year on the Michigan sidelines as Howard serves his suspension.
In addition to the 5 game ban, Howard will also be fined $40,000 for his actions on Sunday, while Michigan forwards Terrance Williams and Moussa Diabate will sit out the Wolverines next game. On the Badgers side of things, head coach Greg Gard was fined $10,000 while guard Jahcobi Neath will sit for one game for their roles in the on court scuffle.
The suspension is not the first time Howard has been in the Big10’s crosshairs, as he was previously ejected from last year’s conference tournament following an on court incident. The two time NBA champion was named the AP coach of the year in 2021, however the Wolverines have struggled this season after starting out as the 6th ranked team in the country in the preseason.
“Big Ten Conference coaches and student-athletes are expected to display the highest level of sportsmanship conduct,” stated Commissioner Kevin Warren. “I am grateful for the partnership with Michigan Athletics Director, Warde Manuel and Wisconsin Athletics Director, Chris McIntosh. Our expectation is that the incident yesterday will provide our coaches and student-athletes with the opportunity to reflect, learn and move forward in a manner that demonstrates decorum and leadership on and off of the court.”
Wisconsin (21-5 overall, 12-4 Conference) is currently ranked number 13 in the country and figures to have a top seed heading into the NCAA tournament in March. Meanwhile Michigan (14-11 overall, 8-7 Conference) are hoping that a strong showing in the Big10 tournament will boost their March Madness stock.
The Wolverines are next in action Wednesday against Rutgers.