Michigan

Michigan basketball keeps perspective as historically bad season nears end

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2024

Press Room

Michigan basketball keeps perspective as historically bad season nears end

Nobody in or around the Michigan basketball program has experienced anything like this.

The losing streaks. The disappointment. The frustration; it all continued Sunday, a day meant for celebration.

Michigan fell to Nebraska on senior day at Crisler Center, 85-70, to wrap up its regular season. At 8-23 overall, no team in 107 years of history has lost more games in a single season. Michigan hadn’t had a five-game losing streak in more than a decade, then had three separate such stretches in the past three months.

The Wolverines dropped 18 of the final 20 games; their KenPom defensive efficiency rating (107.1) wasn’t just the program’s worst since the stat started in 1999, but is the league’s worst mark since 2018 Iowa (108.2).

Or perhaps the most damning, U-M never had consecutive wins over high major teams all year long.

While head coach Juwan Howard insisted after the game that the season isn’t over and said his team will now turn its attention to the Big Ten Tournament — U-M will be the No. 14 seed for the first time in its history after finishing in last place in the league for the first time since 1966-67 — senior Terrance Williams II was willing to reflect on what’s transpired.

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Technically he has a year of eligibility left, but he didn’t sound like someone with plans to return.

“That 8-23, it won’t ever sit right with me,” Williams said, reflecting on what might be his last year in maize and blue. “I didn’t have that vision my senior season. But it happens. Adversity … we’re all going through adversity. It’s making us the young men that we are.

“l can’t be mad at it. I can be mad at that record, but what we’re going through, I feel like we’ll get through it. I made brothers this year, I’m happy about that. I’m playing basketball, can’t be mad about that. So you know, my 10-year-old self would be happy with where I’m at right now.”

‘That’s false information’

During the preseason it was captain Oliver Nkamhoua who downplayed a media poll which pegged the Wolverines to finish No. 11 in the conference.

“Those teams are going to have to prove on the court they’re better than us,” he said at the time.

The Wolverines had a shorthanded roster from the start, and went the entire summer without their head coach. The team practiced without Howard for months, before and after he underwent open heart surgery in September, and now with the benefit of hindsight, those in the program appeared to underestimate just how much that would throw a wrench in the season.

“It’s been a strange year in a very strange season,” Howard said Sunday. “I didn’t get an opportunity to be myself and on the floor, teaching (in the summer). Each and every day, thinking about when you have an aneurysm, what day is it going to burst? … Then you have surgery, go through that … learning how to walk again.

“I’m going to keep forging ahead because I know my team and my staff needs me. I’m not going to quit on them because that’s not how I operate. I’ve never quit anything in life. We have a season to play, so I’m going to give everything I can to this university, this team and this staff, because these are the people I love.”

[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Hail Yes!” your go-to Michigan Wolverines podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]

Things started well: Michigan was 3-0 at one point, then later 6-5, when the year went sideways just before league play began.

Howard got in a verbal altercation with former strength & conditioning coach Jon Sanderson, point guard Dug McDaniel got suspended, the flu ripped through the locker room, and Nkamhoua (broken wrist), Tray Jackson (concussion, broken nose) and Jaelin Llewellyn (ACL rehab) all battled through varying ailments.

As the roster got thinner, the losses mounted; but even though U-M has lost 18 of 20 games for the first time in more than 40 years, the players say they appreciate the way it’s been handled.

“Coach Howard, he’s trying to share the message that we have to get 1% better every day,” Williams said. “He’s not pounding the losses on us or any of that. We watch film, we try to learn from these mistakes that we keep doing and apply it. I appreciate coach Howard for that. A lot of coaches could be yelling at us, putting us down.

“Coach Howard just wants us to be better on and off the court. … I appreciate him for that.”

There’s a chance the comment could be misconstrued as apathy. Maybe it comes off as the coach not demanding more of players. Maybe it comes off as the new generation being satisfied with a participation trophy.

Williams shut down any conspiracy theories of that sort immediately.

“I mean, nah, we’re definitely being pushed every day in practice,” he said. “We’re trying to fix the mistakes. We’re not just going into practice like we will wipe away the game that happens. We’re gonna watch film, drill, Coach Howard’s going to drill us to help us in the next game.

“We’re not satisfied with the record, just to be transparent … that’s a fan perspective. I just feel like that’s false information, because we’re being pushed every day. We’re pushing each other every day.”

The bigger picture

Fans don’t want to hear about the moments they don’t get to see.

Barbecues at Howard’s house won’t end what looks like it will assuredly be the program’s first two-year NCAA tournament drought since it missed 10 straight (1999-2008). Neither will bowling nights, though those happened, too, as did a watch party for the Super Bowl.

But for the players — whose years of dedication and hours of work per week are rewarded with losses and scrutiny — that’s what this year will be about.

“Even though this season hasn’t gone how we all wanted it to be, how we all envisioned, we can never question the group of players, the group of teammates, the group of people we had,” Nimari Burnett said. “With that being said, it definitely sucks. It weighs on us in our own individual ways.

“But us as a group, these guys are people I’ll talk to the rest of my life. Ultimately, I’m grateful for that.”

There are many questions about what the future of the program looks like. The coach, the roster construction, the NIL investment, the recruiting, the transfer portal; all of which are valid for a program that’s gone from Elite Eight to Sweet 16 to bubble team to bottom of the Big Ten.

But from where Howard sits, there’s no question about what needs to happen. And no place he’d rather do it.

“We’re going to grind like no other this summer,” Howard said. “Getting back to what we’re used to … and that’s winning. But this year right here alone, we have learned a lot and I feel we have won in a lot of ways.

“I could have sat this season out but that’s not how I’m wired. I felt this team and this staff needs me and I need them, too.”

Contact Tony Garcia: apgarcia@freepress.com. Follow him at @realtonygarcia.

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2 Smoothie King employees fired for refusing to serve customer in Trump hoodie

Published

4 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

2 Smoothie King employees fired for refusing to serve customer in Trump hoodie

Two employees who refused to serve a man and his wife because he was wearing a hoodie with President Trump’s name on it were fired after a video of the heated encounter went viral.

Erika Lindemyer and her husband, Jake, were forced out of a Smoothie King franchise location in Ann Arbor, Michigan, following a fiery clash with two young female workers on Sunday.

The employees claimed they didn’t “feel comfortable” serving the couple because of Jake’s pro-Trump hoodie, as captured by Erika in a viral video.

Jake and Erika fired back at the pair and insisted that they were being “discriminated” against based on their “political views.”

“We were just wanting a smoothie and you literally looked at us and I asked you if everything was OK and you said ‘We don’t feel comfortable serving you’ because of my husband’s hoodie. That is discrimination,” Erika spat.

“Okay, well, have a great day,” the first employee said.

“That is illegal,” Erika tried to insist again.

“I said Trump discriminates [against] us,” another employee chimed in.

“Okay, well that has nothing to do with us getting a smoothie!” Erika guffawed.

“OK, well that’s who you support though, that’s who you love,” the first employee chided.

“What’s embarrassing is that we’re American citizens and I wanted to get a smoothie,” Erika huffed.

The second employee noted that they “have a right to refuse service” and directed the couple to the exit.

“You asked a question and [the other employee] gave you an answer. Have a great day. Have a great day. The door’s right there,” the second worker said.

Erika threatened to call the police while storming out, but it’s unclear if she did.

In a separate video shared Monday, one of the workers joked that she might’ve “accidentally started a race war” and called on the public to help remove Erika’s video.

“I am a minor and she recorded me without my permission. The people in the comments are all white and they’re all being hella racist, guys, please help me get this video taken down,” she implored.

Smoothie King confirmed that the girls involved in the viral confrontation “are no longer with the business” as of Monday.

“As a brand, Smoothie King is committed to ensuring our stores are a place free of discrimination of any kind, where every guest and team member is treated with care and respect,” the company wrote on X.

The owner of the Ann Arbor franchise location will also enforce “mandatory retraining for all employees that outlines our guest experience standards.”

In early December, a woman who worked at a Target in California was berated by a customer for wearing a Charlie Kirk “Freedom” T-shirt.

When the employee insisted she was allowed to wear the red shirt, the irate customer accused her of supporting “a racist.”

The medical center where the agitated customer worked was bombarded with upwards of 6,000 “profanity-laced” phone calls after online sleuths doxxed her personal information.

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Opportunity knocks for Michigan’s guards with L.J. Cason out

Published

16 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Opportunity knocks for Michigan’s guards with L.J. Cason out

Ann Arbor — The Wolverines won the outright Big Ten regular-season title with two games to go, but it came at a great cost.

L.J. Cason, Michigan’s backup point guard and a key piece of the rotation, tore his right ACL in the championship-clinching win at Illinois. Just like that, Cason’s season was over and Michigan was hit with a brutal blow.

But when adversity strikes, opportunity knocks. While the team won’t be the same without Cason, coach Dusty May believes Michigan has backcourt pieces who can step up and make up for the loss.

“This is a great opportunity for Roddy (Gayle Jr.), Trey (McKenney) and Nimari (Burnett) to play more, and those guys are really good players,” May said Monday. “Our rotation has been nine and nine, I think, is too deep. It’s playing too many guys, if you want to optimize everyone. But we felt like we had nine guys that deserved to play, that gave us a different element.

“We look at this as another challenge, but it’s also an opportunity for guys to play a little bit more, to play longer periods, to play through a mistake, to play a little bit different role. We do feel like these guys are a lot better than they were earlier this year, so we’re prepared to handle whatever comes at us.”

May said he doesn’t know exactly when Cason tore his ACL, and neither does Cason. The sophomore guard fell to the court and got up favoring his right leg on two separate occasions against Illinois.

The first instance came in the final minute of the first half, when Cason tipped a long rebound ahead and chased it down to start a fast break. After he grabbed the ball in the air and bounced it backward between his legs to a trailing teammate, Cason went down. He got up hobbling, was subbed out and went back to the locker room.

Cason briefly checked back in during the second half and scored a driving layup a minute into his shift. But on Michigan’s next possession, he fell down after trying to score through contact and got up limping again. Shortly after that, Cason motioned to the Michigan bench to be taken out of the game and he exited for good.

“At halftime, the training staff came and said basically he’s passed all of his jump test. He just did the bike. He says he’s 100% ready to go. I was surprised, because I was expecting him to be out,” May said. “I said, ‘What about the test?’ They said both of his knees are loose, so it’s hard. We don’t feel that anything is torn.

“He comes back in. He lands funny again. … It’s unfortunate for him because he was playing so well. When an ACL pops on a noncontact injury, you’re like, ‘Man, what could we have done different?’ When it happens on a funny, quirky play, usually those are the ones that aren’t preventable.”

May added it hasn’t been determined yet when Cason will undergo surgery. Given the typical recovery timeline for a torn ACL ranges anywhere from nine to 12 months, May said Cason redshirting next season is a possibility that’s “on the table.”

“That’s certainly been discussed as well, and then that impacts the recruiting decision-making,” May said. “But right now, we’re still trying to figure out when he’s going to have it. What’s the timeline? Does it make sense to go ahead and sit out next year? … We haven’t made any definitive decisions, because all the information is so inconclusive.”

Moving forward, the plan isn’t to have just one guy replace Cason, who averaged 8.4 points and 2.4 assists in 18.6 minutes per game, shot 40.2% from 3-point range and served as a facilitator when starting point guard Elliot Cadeau wasn’t on the court. It’ll be a by-committee approach.

That said, Cason’s absence is certainly going to put much more on Cadeau’s shoulders. The Wolverines can ill afford to have Cadeau commit unnecessary fouls and miss long stretches at a time. Without Cason, Cadeau is the one guard who can break down opposing defenses off the dribble and create for others.

“This will force Elliot to be much more solid with his defensive decision-making when it comes to fouling,” May said. “He doesn’t have that insurance policy anymore named L.J. behind him, because L.J. came in and carried the load several games for our group. That’s not there anymore.”

While Burnett, Gayle and McKenney haven’t had to be facilitators in their roles this season, May expressed confidence all three can take on minutes with the ball in their hands and initiate the offense.

Even beyond the guards, May noted the team has “other capable weapons” who can serve as triggers on offense depending on the matchup, like forwards Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. and big man Aday Mara.

Add it all together, May feels the Wolverines can find a way to absorb the blow, fill the void and forge ahead with Cason sidelined.

“We have enough to overcome what L.J. brought to the team,” May said. “I don’t know if he’s the best backup point guard in the country, but I can’t think of one that’s better. We’re losing a lot, but once again, we’re not going to sit here and look at it from that angle.

“This is an opportunity for all these other guys to do a little bit more, and they’re more than capable. It’s on us to find the right rotations and situations. Without a doubt, we have a lot of confidence in our roster.”

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

@jamesbhawkins

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Michigan State Police patrol car damaged in hit-and-run on Lodge Freeway in Detroit

Published

1 day ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Michigan State Police patrol car damaged in hit-and-run on Lodge Freeway in Detroit

Nick Lentz

Updated on: March 1, 2026 / 11:08 PM EST
/ CBS Detroit

The Michigan State Police is looking for the driver of a Jeep that the agency said hit one of its patrol cars on Lodge Freeway in Detroit Sunday night.

According to officials, the incident happened at 7:50 p.m. on the northbound side of the freeway near Shaefer Highway. The agency said a trooper was investigating a crash and had the patrol car parked on the right shoulder of the freeway with its emergency lights on when it was rear-ended by the Jeep.

“The impact forced the patrol car to strike the concrete wall on the right shoulder,” according to the agency.

A damaged Michigan State Police patrol car on the side of Lodge Freeway in Detroit on March 1, 2026, after it was hit by a Jeep.

Michigan State Police

The Jeep then went across three lanes of the freeway and hit a median wall, officials said. The driver, identified by law enforcement as a 29-year-old Detroit woman, left the vehicle and fled the scene.

Michigan State Police First Lieutenant Mike Shaw said that while the trooper was evaluated and cleared at the scene by medical personnel, he was still taken to the hospital as a precaution.

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