The University of Maryland told the Big Ten that Michigan’s basketball coach Juwan Howard Terps coach apparently threatened Mark Turgeon during a verbal altercation that erupted during the second half of the teams’ game in the Big Ten quarterfinals, a source with knowledge of the situation told InsideMDSports.
Howard, according to Maryland’s communications with the conference, told Turgeon, ‘I’ll kill you,’ during a screaming match that saw both coaches move towards each other and led to Howard’s ejection in the Wolverines’ eventual victory. with 79-66. Turgeon did not make the claim during his conference after the game.
“It’s been all three games. I’ve been doing it for 34 years and I called the conference office. I called the commissioner about what happened in the first two games. And I said I’m not going to it was the third game. And so I stood up for my team, I stood up for myself, “Turgeon said afterwards, referring to complaints Maryland made about Howard making disrespectful comments on Maryland’s bench during the first two meetings between the two. teams this season. .
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First year in Michigan Hunter Dickinson the Terps bench repeatedly plagued during Michigan’s victory over Maryland on New Year’s Eve, but according to the source, Howard also made comments in their direction during both meetings during the regular season, leading to the formal complaints. Coaches and players are usually expected not to address the other team’s coaches and bench directly. Maryland did not file a complaint today, but informally made the Big Ten aware of Howard’s alleged threat. Hours later, Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren said no action would be taken.
“We have incredibly passionate coaches, incredibly passionate players, incredible passionate fans. As with all of this, our office is reviewing it from a sportsmanship policy point of view, which we did following the match. And there will be no further action. We feel that the officials handled it appropriately in court and spread the situation, ‘he said.
‘All I said [today] do not talk to me. Do not talk to me … Never stood back, I just stood there and said do not talk to me. That’s it. The league is well aware of what happened the first two games, and they will handle it from here on out, “Turgeon said. But I was, I think, as professional as I could at the moment try to stand up for myself, 34 years to do it the right way, and for Maryland basketball. So that’s all I did, stood up for myself and the Maryland program and said don’t talk to me. ‘
pic.twitter.com/iN5H6ea6bc – Wes Brown (@ W_Brown21) 12 March 2021
Howard, who had to be restrained by an assistant coach, said he felt threatened by Turgeon, who he said was ‘charged’.
Here’s the full series that led to Michigan head coach Juwan Howard being kicked out during his last media retirement. pic.twitter.com/iN5H6ea6bc
– Wes Brown (@ W_Brown21) 12 March 2021
‘And it’s just there, I do not know how you were raised, but how I was raised by my grandmother and also by Chicago, because I was raised by Chicago and I grew up in the Southside. If guys charge you, it’s time to defend yourself. Especially if a grown man charges you, ‘said Howard, a former NBA star of 6 feet 10, of the 5-10, 56-year-old Turgeon.’And right there I go into defense mode and forget exactly where I was. Because this is not the right way to handle the situation when you are suing someone. I did not charge him. When he charged me, I reacted and I reacted out of defense. So that’s it, words were exchanged, and then I was thrown. ‘
Both sides agreed that Turgeon complained to the refs that Howard was outside the coaching staff.
‘I’m going to tell you the truth about how it all happened. I noticed it [Galin] Smith made an offensive rebound, but it got off his hands last. But the referee called the ball out of bounds and I think it was theirs. And I’m like, ‘No, that’s not how I saw it. “So I was outside the coaching staff and went down to explain that it’s from Smith and that it’s hard to communicate when it’s hard and you have masks on,” Howard said.
“So Turge saw that I was outside the box and told the referee to look at my feet. I’m outside the box. And I’m like, ‘Come on, man. That’s what we’re going for today? Are you worried? “My feet are out of the box?” And he said, “Juwan, I’m not going to let you talk to me. You’ll never talk to me again,” Howard said.
Clearly, Turgeon still grumbled from earlier this season, when the freshman in Michigan Hunter Dickinson, a North Virginia native who was playing a few miles further on the road from Maryland to DeMatha (Md.), exclaimed Turgeon, saying he had not recruited himself hard enough. When the two teams meet on New Year’s Eve in College Park, Dickinson Turgeon and the Maryland bench stare repeatedly after passing and finally earning a technical foul.
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After that game, he’s back at Turgeon.
‘Hopefully I showed that the guys in Madison Street are pretty good and that they should go there for a while [to recruit], ”Dickinson said. “I wish we had fans … I could get a real welcome from the Maryland fans.”
Howard had no problem with Dickinson’s antics, and then said, ‘That was one of the biggest reasons I recruited him … Because I love the fact that he loves basketball, he’s a great person, a hard worker and a competitor. ‘
But based on his comments during his recruitment, it appears that Maryland was serious the 7-foot-2 Big Ten first-year student of the year.
“I like Hunter and his family. My parents and I had a good relationship, ‘former Maryland assistant Dustin Clark said the Washington Post in January. ‘It was crazy to hear him say he was not recruited by Maryland because that’s simply not true. He was recruited as hard as any underclass we have ever recruited in Maryland. ”
Turgeon did not want to respond to Dickinson except to compliment Dickinson’s talent after his 26-point, 11-rebound performance in that game.
“He was a maniac,” Turgeon said. “We doubled a bit, but he’s also a great predecessor, and they passed against the double teams and a few times he passed against the double team … He was great. He had our guards in there. handle.”
Howard apologized to his team on Friday for being evicted.
“I apologize to my team, which I did in the locker room for my actions. This is not the way you handle situations like this in adverse moments. Can’t let your emotions get the best of you … I’m always going to take ownership if I’m wrong and admit I’m wrong, so that’s not the right way to handle that situation. ‘