When his team needed a spark 48 hours after a difficult loss, Michigan coach Juwan Howard turned to a competitor: Draymond Green, the standout in the NBA and the former Michigan star.
Howard said he used a video from Green Wolverines to motivate his team ahead of the 69-50 victory over the Spartans on Thursday, clinching the first Big Ten title since 2014.
In the video, per player, Green said he hoped Michigan ‘would never win a game, showcasing the intensity of the rivalry between the two schools.
“He had a nice little video that I wanted the guys to listen to,” Howard said after the game. “I think they really enjoyed watching it and listening to the words.”
The former Fab Five star and second-year coach did not disclose details about the video or its origins, but its players said it would give a boost to a team that penetrated Thursday’s game in hopes of Tuesday to forget an 76-53 home loss to an Illinois. group that played without Ayo Dosunmu.
“It felt incredible and then it’s even sweeter to do it against Michigan State,” said Mike Smith, a transfer from Columbia who scored nine points in the win, his first competitive game in Michigan. “Coach showed us a video of Draymond Green. He just said he wishes we would never win a game. It just shows how aggressive this game is.”
Howard, now a strong contender for national coach of the year after leading his team to his first Big Ten title in seven years, lived up to the hype, evidenced by this season and his success on the yard track. Both of the team’s losses this season – in Minnesota in January and Tuesday against Illinois – feel like outliers for a program that is expected to be a number one spot on the first Sunday.
“It’s gratifying,” Howard said of his team’s conference title, which includes a three-week hiatus due to coronavirus health and safety protocols. “We did not make excuses. We rolled up our sleeves and found it along the way. A lot of things were thrown at us, but we did not make excuses for it.”
Isaiah Livers, who withdrew from the NBA draft last summer and returned to Michigan, kissed the Crisler Arena floor after he went to the bench in the final minutes of the game Thursday. 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 … it’s a great achievement for me,” Livers said after the game. “We all play like brothers. I want the natty [national championship], too. We’re going to win a Big Ten championship, run a March frenzy and if your fingers are crossed, you’re going to get that wet. ‘
Howard laughed when asked about using a competitor to inspire his team, but he also added that he respects Green. When he was an assistant coach in the NBA, Howard said, he put Green aside before a game and said he respects the way he played.
“Draymond,” Howard said, “I think he’s a Hall of Famer at some point when he’s done playing.”
On Thursday, however, the Golden State Warriors’ standout was just a motivation for an old enemy.