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ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan is looking to get back on the winning side of things, after having lost two straight and three of the last four.
It won’t get that much easier with 13-5 Penn State coming to town, as the Nittany Lions are playing with a lot of confidence under head coach Pat Chambers.
In advance of Wednesday night’s 7PM tip, Michigan head coach Juwan Howard met with the media to discuss the matchup, and other topics, including Isaiah Livers’ injury status, Eli Brooks’ defense, what he sees in Penn State and his concerns on defense overall.
Read the transcript below or watch the video above.
Importance of winning at home
“Each and every game is important, no matter if it’s road or at home. Right now, yes, we are focusing on Penn State and doing what we can do, controlling what we can control. And that’s coming out and playing with a lot of energy and effort. We know we’re gonna have a home crowd here, looking forward to seeing some Michigan basketball here in Crisler. So our guys are juiced up and excited about this opportunity tomorrow.”
What worries him about Penn State
“They’re very physical team, led by Stevens. Watkins is a very physical force on the inside. They play hard defensively. They’re very good on the defensive side of the ball. Offensively, they can shoot the ball from outside. They have three to four guys that can knock it down from outside. They’re a very scary team and they’ve been battle-tested on the road before so it’s nothing new to them.”
Isaiah Livers injury update
“Actually, it’s a day-to-day process, and he’s improving. He’s definitely improving. It’s a great sign – not a good sign, a great sign.”
What’s the next step of his rehab process?
“We’re looking forward to Isaiah joining us in practice very soon. That’s a part of Isaiah getting closer to joining his teammates on the court. My philosophy is I like to see our guys practice at least once or twice and hopefully soon Isaiah will be able to go out there and compete and see how he feels after a practice. Because that’s always the case, too – when you practice, your body hasn’t done anything in 4-6 weeks, so you’re gonna be sore. But how do you feel from that injury? That’s the key point the next day.”
Free throw discrepancy
“We’re not just a jump-shooting team. We attack the paint, whether it’s for layups or post-up plays. So happened, if you look back to our last game, we looked at the free throw comparing Iowa and Michigan and Iowa shot 30 free throws and we only attempted 5. But, if you look at our points in the paint, we had more points in the paint. So, just like I stated a few seconds ago, we’re not just a jump-shooting team. We attack the basket. So, why not? Why not us?”
On Penn State’s aggressiveness and it being an opportunity to get to the line
“We’re gonna attack the paint. We’re not shying away from – Watkins is a good shot blocker. They are a very good defensive team, like I stated earlier. We’re not gonna settle for just jumpers. We’re gonna mix it up, we’re gonna run our sets. Hopefully we’ll be able to capitalize and get some scoring opportunities to knock down some outside shots and get some paint touches, as well.”
Isaiah Livers’ day-by-day process
“Yeah, it’s been a frustrating process. Here’s a guy who sees his teammates out there, competing hard. Been a part of the team in the beginning of the season. Was a part of the team success – a huge part of the team success. And now, you miss – I stopped counting how many games he’s missed. And looking at his face, yes, it wears on you. Because he wants to be out there helping his team. He knows that his teammates need him. He missed the competition and he missed the games of playing against your opponents and sharing the success and the fun opportunities with his teammates. And now, his brothers, they’re clawing and they’re fighting and he’s cheering them on, doing whatever he can to help. Being a great leader. And he’s developing some great leadership. Not saying he didn’t have it before but this is the time where he’s not only becoming a student of the game, but he’s growing, seeing the game from a different lens now.”
What is the team morale right now?
“Positive. Very positive. Every day, our guys come into the gym solution-based, ready to get better. Not with the heads down, sulking, asking people to feel sorry for them. We’re not wired that way. We’re wired to, ‘Hey, what can we do to get better as a group?’ Myself – starting with me first, and then going on down to the players.”
Eli Brooks’ defense
“In my opinion, and I think it’s shown in every game we play, he should be mentioned as one of the best defensive guards in college basketball. He’s had different assignments guarding some of the best shooters in the league, not just during Big Ten play, but in non-conference play. He’s also guarded some of the big wings, 1-3, at times he gets switched off on the 4-man, read the post, play post-line. Very good rebounder for his size. But his instincts and his will to defend have been exceptional. There are times when, not only the media, but in general, at times the fans. They say, ‘Hey, the ball is not falling, why is he out there?’ Kid’s a winner! And he does whatever it takes to help the team win. He’s accepted that role of being a two-way player and getting his hands dirty, doing whatever it takes, doing the little things that don’t show up in the box score. All you can do as a coach is appreciate a guy like that.”
Is there one area of defense he’s particularly concerned?
“Overall, just defensively in general. From pick and roll defense to man-to-man. Everyone wants to talk about the post defense because some of the post guys have gotten big numbers on us, but it really boils down to there hasn’t been any sets that teams have run that they’ve surprised us with. It’s gotten down to just mano-a-mano. How can we do a better job of guarding one-on-one?
Has he looked at any NCAA Tournament projections?
“Oh, I haven’t thought about that, sir. It hadn’t crossed my mind. All I’ve thought about is game-by-game and Penn State has been my focus.
“I have thought about the Iowa game, because we played them. Can’t forget about Iowa.”
Isaiah Livers combatting frustration
“One of the best things that I’ve witnessed from Isaiah was that he told me that he’s vulnerable,” Howard said. “He said, ‘Coach, this is a tough time for me right now and I’m going through it.’ And I thought it was beautiful for Isaiah to share that information with me, feel comfortable to share some personal feelings with the experience of an injury and trusting me in that way.
“My best advice for him was – I’ll give it to you in a short way: ‘Every player goes through this through some point in their career. Whether it’s in high school, collegiate or NBA level. Right now, it’s you, but the best part of this is being around your teammates. That’s what’s gonna help you get through those tough times and being away from us or hanging out in the training room or not coming to games or not traveling on the road – you start to feel empty and alone and by yourself. When you’re around your teammates all the time, now you still feel like you’re a part of the group. And he is.”
What he knew about Eli Brooks before the season
“When I watched from afar, I knew Eli played his freshman year, and last year he was a part of the rotation. So I did my homework in watching film and seeing what he provided to the group last season, and I understood why Coach Beilein played him. Because he’s a high IQ basketball player that knows the game and has a great feel for the game. If he ever wanted to come back and when he’s done playing and coach, he’d be a great coach.”
On Eli Brooks’ confidence
“I’ve seen where he’s still been vocal and been a leader around the team. When we talk about scouting reports, he’s not afraid to voice his opinion or add any kind of input. In practice, when it comes to when a guy’s not doing his job or whether he’s made a mistake, he’s not afraid to own it. That right there let me know that it’s not all about the ball bouncing in for him. It’s all about giving to the team and giving in ways of affect winning. And he can totally be quiet or not in-tune or feel like, ‘Hey, I’m not playing well, so everybody should feel sorry for me.’ That is not Eli’s approach. And that says a lot about his character. That’s the sign of a winner to me.”
His resolve come from being an upperclassman?
“Part of that is yes. I’m not trying to stroke my own ego, but I’ve said this to you guys before: if you’re open, shoot it. If you miss it and you’re open again, shoot the next one.
“Take Adrian (Nunez) for example: the guy had two wide-open threes. One it bounced off the side of the backboard. The second was an airball. And the third one he shot it and it went in. If you watched my reaction, I was never like, ‘Adrian, don’t shoot the next basketball!’ or ‘Pass it next time!’
“I’m not here to try to allow my players to be puppets. Or to overthink or overanalyze. I think some of the best learning in the game of basketball is going through those tough stretches where you’re not playing well for six or seven games. Let me see how you react. Are you gonna be a solution-based guy, come in and get some work in? Or are you a guy that’s gonna start pointing your fingers at, ‘This is the reason,’ making excuses. Or: ‘Coach isn’t playing me enough,’ or, ‘He’s putting me in bad positions.’ We don’t think like that. We’re not about that. I’m empowering our guys to feel like this is their team and basketball is a learning process. Let’s grow together.”