McDaniel was banned in early January because “several academic goals” needed to be accomplished. Michigan announced the suspension in a statement.
Michigan point guard Dug McDaniel will rejoin the Wolverines for road games, indicating the end of his extended suspension due to academic difficulties.
“Dug is making good progress and has completed all of the tasks we have assigned to him thus far. With that said, he will rejoin the team on the road. We appreciate his efforts and those who have supported him,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said in a statement sent by a team official on Tuesday afternoon.
McDaniel was banned in early January because “several academic goals” needed to be accomplished. Michigan claimed in a statement that the ban was “until further notice,” but McDaniel stated on Instagram that he will be sidelined for six road games. The punishment actually lasted six games.
“We have very high standards within our program, culture, and university,” Howard stated when the suspension was announced in January. “As mentors, we must provide the standards and pathways that will enable our young men to succeed. Beginning with our game against Maryland, Dug McDaniel will not be traveling to away games until further notice.
Dug will dress for home games, but when we are away from Ann Arbor, he will work on achieving numerous academic goals that he has established and must accomplish.
“I’m disappointed, but this isn’t something we take lightly. This is a critical step for Dug’s success as a student-athlete. We shall not make any additional comments in the future.
McDaniel leads Michigan in points (16.7 ppg) and assists (4.7 apg) after a solid sophomore season and second year as the Wolverines’ starting point guard. During his suspension, U-M relied more heavily on combo guard Jaelin Llewellyn and shooting guard Nimari Burnett.
But McDaniel’s suspension exacerbated the team’s already poor backcourt depth, and Michigan went 0-6 on the road without its primary ballhandler.
The Wolverines have dropped five in a row and 15 of their past 17, dropping to 8-20 on the season. They are projected to finish last in the Big Ten, with games remaining at Rutgers, Ohio State, and at home against Nebraska before the Big Ten Tournament, which begins Wednesday.
The family of Birmingham (Mich.) Groves four-star offensive lineman Avery Gach says he is close to finalizing his spring and official visit schedules, but they do know which schools are in the running.
For spring travels, the goal is to visit Michigan, Michigan State, and Ohio State, and even Wisconsin if a trip to Madison can be arranged.
Big Ten expansion has arrived, and with it, many of the league’s national title-contending programs in 2024 face tough schedules — as do those in the center of the pack seeking to make bowl season. It’s time to go through each team’s schedule, game by game, and predict wins and losses, right down to the conference standings order.
Beginning with the 2024 season, the Big Ten will eliminate divisions, and the two teams with the best conference records will compete in Indianapolis for the league championship. In the case of a multi-team tie, tiebreakers will be used, which might very likely occur given the league’s strength at the top of the national rankings.
With Oregon, USC, Washington, and UCLA joining the conference and increasing the amount of high-quality programs in the Big Ten, it’s not surprising that the league will defend its national championship in January.
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