Michigan’s Roller-Coaster Season Continues With Loss to Indiana in Juwan Howard’s Return

For the first 28 minutes, Juwan Howard’s return to the sidelines couldn’t have gone any better.

The Wolverines were in control, dominating a lifeless Indiana team despite a rowdy partisan crowd for the Hoosiers 50 minutes from campus in Indianapolis Thursday. Howard’s return felt secondary, the cloud over Michigan’s head receding after a tumultuous few weeks sparked by the postgame fracas in which Howard hit Wisconsin assistant Joe Krabbenhoft. The win Michigan was heading toward would have fully solidified the Wolverines’ trip to the NCAA tournament, an honor that was far from a given even three weeks ago in the aftermath of that Wisconsin loss.

Howard had not coached since Feb. 20.

Kirthmon F. Dozier/USA TODAY NETWORK