Things seem to be getting worse for the Michigan Wolverines. At this point, the Michigan Wolverines rank at the bottom of the Big Ten conference. They hold a record of (8-18, 3-12) overall and in conference. The Wolverines have not had many good things happen for them so far this season. As of Wednesday, one star forward for the Michigan Wolverines basketball team will now miss the rest of the 2023 season after undergoing surgery on his wrist. This is a big loss to a program that is struggling to win games during this regular season heading into March.
Michigan Wolverines Forward Olivier Nkamhoua To Miss Remainder Of 2023 Season After Wrist Surgery
Michigan Wolverines forward Olivier Nkamhoua will miss the remainder of the basketball season after undergoing wrist surgery. Nkamhoua transferred from Tennessee to be with the Wolverines after last season. During his time with the Michigan Wolverines, Nkamhoua averaged 14.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. He started in all 26 games for the Wolverines. The star forward is the second-leading scorer on the team.
Basketball has not been a bright spot in Ann Arbor in 2023. While in recent years the Wolverines had much success, this year has been a downhill spiral for Juwan Howard. Most of their starting five lineup consists of transfer players from other programs. It has been uncertain as to where the collapse has come from. Not sure if it’s the coaching or the student-athletes not buying into what the coaching staff wants out of them. But, sadly enough there is a problem on the basketball court for the Michigan Wolverines.
Juwan Howard Issues At Michigan
Michigan head coach Juwan Howard has had his fair share of issues in Ann Arbor. Whether it was an altercation or ejections from games. This has been noticeable on the sidelines throughout his tenure. Recently, the strength and conditioning coach, Jon Sanderson left the program due to an altercation between him and Howard. Now, he is having issues keeping his team together this season.
Before the 2023 season began, Howard underwent heart surgery. This kept the head coach for the Michigan Wolverines away from his team for several games to start the year. Assistant coach Phil Martelli had to fill the position while Howard was in the recovery process. Needless to say, the Michigan Wolverines seemed to be coming together at that time. Once Juwan Howard returned, the basketball team started to crumble in games that should have been won, while losing leads during crucial moments.
Michigan Wolverines Remaining Games In 2023
The Michigan Wolverines last game ended in a loss. This came against their arch-rival Michigan State by a score of 73-63. Once again not being able to hold a lead in the second half of the game. Olivier Nkamhoua scored 11 points with four rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in that game. Now, the Wolverines will need other players to step up as they finish out the season.
They will finish the 2023 campaign with games against Northwestern, Purdue, Rutgers, Ohio State, and Nebraska. It will be a tougher task without their second-leading scorer out for the remainder of the season. The Wolverines have already lost to three of those schools so far. Getting above .500 is out of the question, but winning over 10 games is still a possibility, including the Big Ten Conference tournament in the month of March. Finishing out the season with wins is the only thing that the Michigan Wolverines have to look forward to as 2023 comes to a close.
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James has been a sports writer for 2 years. He is a close follower of College Sports, the NFL, and MLB. Fan of the Michigan Wolverines, Green Bay Packers, and the Atlanta Braves.
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