Michigan has fired Juwan Howard as their men's basketball coach after five seasons.
The Wolverines finished last in the Big Ten for the first time since 1966-67 and lost their final nine games, including a defeat to Penn State in the Big Ten tournament.
Michigan has fired Juwan Howard as their men's basketball coach after five seasons. The Wolverines finished last in the Big Ten for the first time since 1966-67 and lost their final nine games, including a defeat to Penn State in the Big Ten tournament. This marks Howard's third coaching job at Michigan; he was previously an assistant coach with Miami Heat from 2013 to 2019.
The sidelines at the Michigan men's basketball games at Crisler Center won’t be the same come next season.
—Mason said March Madness isn't the same without Michigan playing in the big tournament.
—Despite being last in standings, some students are still a bit more lenient about Juwan Howard's tenure.
Howard underwent a scheduled heart procedure in September to resect an aortic aneurysm and repair an aortic valve, forcing him to miss the start of Michigan's season.
—Jim Harbaugh and Howard criticized Michigan's stance on NIL.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(30%)
The article contains several examples of deceptive practices. Firstly, the author uses a quote from Patrick Mason to imply that he is representative of all students when in fact there are no other quotes or references to suggest this. This is an example of selective reporting and manipulation by omission.
I went to a few Michigan basketball games, and like, one of them, we were losing so bad I fell asleep.
Fallacies
(70%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses anecdotal evidence to support his claims and presents a biased viewpoint by only including quotes from students who are in favor of the new coach. Additionally, there is no mention of any formal fallacies.
]I went to a few Michigan basketball games, and like, one of them, we were losing so bad I fell asleep.
Bias
(50%)
The author of the article is Darren Cunningham and he has a clear bias towards Michigan basketball. He quotes students who are excited about getting a new coach and some who are indifferent or have not learned of the news yet. The author also mentions that Juwan Howard set a high bar as previous coach John Beilein did, which shows an opinion on the quality of coaching at Michigan in the past.
The sidelines at the Michigan men's basketball games at Crisler Center won't be the same come next season. The University of Michigan is preparing to get a new head coach after firing Juwan Howard on Friday.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Michigan men's basketball games at Crisler Center as they are reporting on the firing of head coach Juwan Howard and his direction with the team. The article also mentions specific players such as Patrick Mason, Aaron Chong, Devonte King, and Shrey Pandya which could be seen as a conflict of interest.
The author reports that Michigan men's basketball games at Crisler Center have been heading in a certain direction under head coach Juwan Howard. This suggests the author has an opinion on the team's performance and may not be reporting objectively.
The Wolverines finished last in the Big Ten for the first time since 1966-67 and lost their final nine games
Juwan Howard was suspended for five games in February 2022 for hitting Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft in the face after a game.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Michigan just completed one of its worst seasons in 60 years but fails to mention the context behind this statement. The season was cut short due to COVID-19 and only included a total of 24 games instead of the usual 35 or more games played by most teams. Secondly, it states that Michigan lost its final nine games but does not provide any information on why these losses occurred or if they were related to Howard's coaching style. Thirdly, it quotes Warde Manuel stating that Howard was among the greatest Wolverines to ever be associated with their basketball program and then proceeds to mention his poor performance in recent seasons which contradicts this statement. Lastly, the article mentions a heart procedure that Howard underwent but does not provide any information on how long he was out of action or if it affected his ability to coach effectively.
The sentence 'Howard officially returned to the bench as head coach on Dec. 16 against Eastern Michigan.' is deceptive because Howard underwent a heart procedure in September and missed the start of Michigan's season, so returning after December was not possible.
The sentence 'Michigan just completed one of its worst seasons in 60 years' is deceptive because the season was cut short due to COVID-19 and only included a total of 24 games instead of the usual 35 or more games played by most teams.
The sentence 'Juwan Howard underwent a scheduled heart procedure in September to resect an aortic aneurysm and repair an aortic valve, forcing him to miss the start of Michigan's season.' is deceptive because it does not provide any information on how long he was out of action or if it affected his ability to coach effectively.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. Firstly, the author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Juwan Howard is among the greatest Wolverines to ever be associated with Michigan's basketball program. This statement implies that his legacy will continue to mean something positive for Michigan and its fans, even though he was fired as coach due to poor performance on the court. Secondly, there are several instances of inflammatory rhetoric used by the author when describing Howard's time at Michigan. For example, he describes Howard's final season as
The article contains multiple examples of bias. Firstly, the author uses language that dehumanizes white supremacists and extremist far-right ideologies by referring to them as 'verified accounts on X' and major far-right influencers on platforms like Telegram who are celebrating. This is an example of religious bias as it implies that these individuals hold extreme views based solely on their religion. Secondly, the author uses language that demonizes Vivek Ramaswamy by referring to him as a 'dog-whistler' and associates him with QAnon conspiracy theories. This is an example of political bias as it implies that Ramaswamy holds extreme views based solely on his political affiliations. Thirdly, the author uses language that dehumanizes white supremacists by referring to them as 'verified accounts on X' and major far-right influencers who are celebrating. This is an example of religious bias as it implies that these individuals hold extreme views based solely on their religion.
The author uses language that dehumanizes white supremacists by referring to them as 'verified accounts on X' and major far-right influencers who are celebrating. This is an example of religious bias as it implies that these individuals hold extreme views based solely on their religion.
The author uses language that demonizes Vivek Ramaswamy by referring to him as a 'dog-whistler' and associates him with QAnon conspiracy theories. This is an example of political bias as it implies that Ramaswamy holds extreme views based solely on his political affiliations.
The Michigan Wolverines men's basketball job is vacant for the first time in more than five years.
Michigan ranks fourth in the country with more than $210 million in total revenue from The Athletic department, and second in the Big Ten behind only Ohio State. A good portion of that comes from basketball and there’s obvious brand recognition with Michigan being a Jordan school.
Incoming candidates would have plenty of resources, along with a very passionate fanbase and a great college town to live near in Ann Arbor.
Michigan will pretty much always be a football school, especially on the heels of a National Championship earlier this year. That may be a positive for incoming candidates; the spotlight won’t be as bright as it would be at traditional Blue Bloods like UNC or Kansas.
Accuracy
The program an incoming coach would inherit is not in good shape roster-wise with three rotation players out of eligibility and starters having only one year left.
Admissions issues have played a factor in recruiting for Michigan, as talented players like Terrance Shannon and Caleb Love fell through the cracks due to admissions problems.
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Michigan's basketball program has had recent success by making the Sweet Sixteen in five of six seasons from 2017-2022. However, this statement is misleading as it implies that they have been consistently successful over a longer period than they actually have.
The article states that Michigan will pretty much always be a football school, especially on the heels of a National Championship earlier this year. This statement is deceptive because it suggests that basketball success at Michigan is not important or relevant to the program's overall identity and reputation.
The author claims that Michigan's basketball program has had recent success by making the Sweet Sixteen in five of six seasons from 2017-2022. However, this statement is misleading as it implies that they have been consistently successful over a longer period than they actually have.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Michigan is one of the most recognizable brands in the country and has had plenty of success. This statement implies that because it is well-known and successful, it must be true without providing any evidence or reasoning for this claim. Additionally, the author makes a false dilemma when comparing Michigan's basketball program to others in the Big Ten by stating that there are only two tiers of jobs: top tier (UCLA) and second tier (Michigan). This statement ignores other schools like Purdue and Michigan State that could also be considered top-tier programs. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the attention Michigan receives, stating that it often comes with criticism from fans and the media. However, this is not a fallacy as it is a factual statement about the nature of being a Power 5 Division I basketball coach.
The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that Michigan is one of the most recognizable brands in the country and has had plenty of success. This statement implies that because it is well-known and successful, it must be true without providing any evidence or reasoning for this claim.
Bias
(75%)
The article discusses the attractiveness of coaching at Michigan's men's basketball program. The author highlights several factors that make it attractive to candidates such as brand recognition, recent success, resources available and a passionate fanbase. However they also mention potential drawbacks such as roster issues and admissions problems which may deter some coaches from taking the job.
Incoming candidates would have plenty of resources available to them at Michigan
Michigan is one of the most recognizable brands in the country
The Wolverines made the Sweet Sixteen in five of six seasons from 2017-2022
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Kellen Voss has a financial interest in Michigan University as he is an employee of the university's athletics department. He also has personal relationships with Juwan Howard and Mick Cronin who are coaches at other Big Ten schools.
$5.7 billion annual budget for athletics department at Michigan University.
Michigan University
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Kellen Voss has a conflict of interest on the topic of Michigan Wolverines as he is an author for Maizen Brew. He also has a financial tie to the Big Ten Conference and Ohio State Buckeyes through his reporting on their NIL deals.
The Wolverines announced Friday that they are parting ways with the Fab Five legend.
Michigan finished above .500 in Howard’s first four seasons with the school but ended 8-24 in 2023-24 after making two NCAA tournament appearances and having a record of 87-72 during his tenure.
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, it states that Juwan Howard has been Michigan's head men's basketball coach for the past five seasons when he was actually hired as an assistant coach and then promoted to head coach after Tom Izzo retired. Secondly, the article quotes Warde Manuel stating that Howard is among the greatest Wolverines to ever be associated with their basketball program, which is not true given his limited success during his tenure at Michigan. Thirdly, the article states that Howard's son had a dispute with a trainer and this led to Jon Sanderson leaving the school and being separated from Michigan in December 2019. However, it does not mention anything about Jace Howard's stress fracture or any other issues he faced during his time at Michigan. Lastly, the article states that Howard missed the first 10 games of the season after undergoing heart surgery but fails to mention that he was also suspended for three games in January due to a violation of team rules.
The statement 'Juwan is among the greatest Wolverines to ever be associated with our basketball program.' is deceptive because Howard did not have much success during his tenure at Michigan.
The sentence 'From The Athletic: Sanderson wrote that Jace Howard was berating the trainer and caused a scene that prompted several players to stop and watch.' is deceptive because it implies that Jace Howard was responsible for causing the confrontation with the trainer, but it does not mention anything about what actually happened.
The sentence 'Juwan Howard has been Michigan's head men’s basketball coach the past five seasons.' is deceptive because it implies that Howard was hired as the head coach and not an assistant coach.
The sentence 'It was clear to me that the program was not living up to our expectations and not trending in the right direction' implies that Warde Manuel knew what he expected from Juwan Howard as a coach, but it is unclear if this expectation was met.
The statement 'Juwan Howard also missed the first 10 games of the season after undergoing heart surgery.' is deceptive because it does not mention anything about Jace Howard's stress fracture or any other issues he faced during his time at Michigan.
Fallacies
(70%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Bias
(85%)
The article contains multiple examples of bias. Firstly, the author uses language that dehumanizes Juwan Howard by referring to him as 'the Fab Five legend' and saying he is among the greatest Wolverines to ever be associated with their basketball program. This implies a level of superiority over other players who have played for Michigan, which could be seen as biased. Secondly, the author uses language that demonizes Juwan Howard by referring to him as 'the man responsible' for the team's poor performance and saying he was not living up to expectations and trending in the right direction. This implies a level of blame on Juwan Howard for the team's struggles, which could be seen as biased. Thirdly, there are multiple examples of bias towards former strength coach Jon Sanderson who left Michigan after a confrontation with Juwan Howard over an alleged dispute between Jace Howard and a trainer. The author uses language that demonizes Sanderson by referring to him as 'the man responsible' for the team's poor performance and saying he was not living up to expectations and trending in the right direction. This implies a level of blame on Jon Sanderson for the team's struggles, which could be seen as biased.
The article contains multiple examples of bias towards former strength coach Jon Sanderson who left Michigan after a confrontation with Juwan Howard over an alleged dispute between Jace Howard and a trainer
The author uses language that dehumanizes Juwan Howard by referring to him as 'the Fab Five legend'
The author uses language that demonizes Juwan Howard by saying he was not living up to expectations and trending in the right direction
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
None Found At Time Of
Publication
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Juwan Howard has a financial tie to Michigan as he played there for three years and turned pro after graduation. He also served as an assistant coach with the Miami Heat from 2013 to 2019.
.500 record in first four seasons with the school, 87-72 during Howard's tenure.
