Now that it's behind him, Juwan Howard can make light of his spat with Maryland head coach Marc Turgeon.
Howard was ejected from Michigan's win over the Terps in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament for losing his cool after Turgeon called him out for straying beyond the coaching box -- something Turgeon said was an issue in the three games between Maryland and Michigan this season.
And something Turgeon said he had brought to the attention of the Big Ten commissioner's office.
Asked Wednesday on the Stoney & Jansen Show if he's learned to stay inside the box, Howard said, "It's funny you say that. When we played against Ohio State (in the semifinals), I was Mr. Apologetic when it came to the coaches' box. I looked down, I lifted my feet I was like, damn, OK, I'm kind of outside the line -- I stepped back right away."
Howard got a good chuckle out of that. But it's all business now for the Wolverines, who are preparing to face either Mount St. Mary's or Texas Southern in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday. The two No. 16 seeds meet in a play-in game on Thursday. That means a double-dose of game-planning for Howard and his staff.
"In basketball at this time of year, you make no excuses," he said. "Work is work and you just roll up your sleeves."
This year, things are a bit different. The Wolverines have been living at a hotel in Indianapolis for the past week. They arrived last Wednesday for the Big Ten Tournament and they'll stay for as long as they last in the NCAA's. Due to the protocols of the bubble, there's not much for the coaches and players to do other than hang in their rooms and wait for the next game: eat, sleep, basketball.
Howard said he's "not sick of it at all."
"Actually I love this place," he said. "I remember last year when we had a chance to play here, we were staying at the same hotel and it got cut short and they sent us home. So I'm enjoying it. I want to stay here for a very long time -- until April 6th. That's the day I'm expecting to check out."
Howard said outdoor access for his team is limited to a baseball diamond neighboring the hotel, which is just fine given the task at hand.
"It's not the most inviting, but it's not vacation time," he said. "This is a business trip, it's work. We're here for a reason and that's to go out and win a championship."
