This story was updated Jan. 17 at 9:05 p.m. to clarify the indefinite timeline of McDaniel’s suspension, which was previously classified as a six-road-game suspension.
The Michigan men’s basketball team has relied on Dug McDaniel’s production and leadership heavily so far this season.
But on the road, that’s no longer a guaranteed option.
According to McDaniel’s Instagram, the sophomore guard will serve a six-road-game suspension, beginning Thursday when the Wolverines travel to Maryland, due to academic issues. There are just eight remaining road games on Michigan’s schedule, meaning McDaniel would only be available two games upon returning for suspension. However, following Monday’s win over Ohio State, Howard clarified that there is no timetable for McDaniel being reinstated for road contests, meaning he could remain in Ann Arbor for all eight of the Wolverines’ remaining away games.
Beginning on Jan. 11, Michigan’s leading scorer will not travel to away games, while playing in home games.
Michigan coach Juwan Howard made a statement on the matter on Wednesday night.
“We have very high standards within our program, culture and university,” Howard said. “Serving as mentors, we need to set the standards and pathways for our young men to succeed.”
While the Wolverines travel to away games, McDaniel will instead work towards meeting academic goals, according to Howard.
“Dug will dress for home games, however, when we are away from Ann Arbor, he will work towards meeting several academic goals he has set and needs to meet,” Howard said. “While I am disappointed, this is not something we take lightly. This is an important step for Dug and his success as a student-athlete.”
In his two years with Michigan, McDaniel’s impact has been prolific. Last season, thrust into a starting role after graduate guard Jaelin Llewellyn suffered a season-ending injury, McDaniel stepped up despite his freshman status. Starting the final 26 games of the year, he averaged 8.6 points, 3.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds.
Now in his sophomore campaign, McDaniel quickly took an even larger leap.
Through 15 games, McDaniel’s numbers jump off the page, as he averages 17.8 points. With two 30-point games already, his value for the Wolverines is clear. In addition to his importance as a scorer, McDaniel also plays a critical role in others around him contributing. As the Wolverines’ primary distributor, he dishes out 5.1 assists per game — the next most from any Michigan player is 2.6, approximately half McDaniel’s average.
But now, the Wolverines will have to look elsewhere when playing away from home for all of that production.
With graduate guard Nimari Burnett primarily playing at the ‘2’, Michigan will need someone from the bench to take the majority of McDaniel’s minutes at the ‘1’. Llewellyn, who returned to the court in December after his year-long recovery from ACL surgery, is the likely candidate.
Last year, when Llewellyn went down, McDaniel was forced to step up. Now, the roles are reversed.
That’s a tall task for Llewellyn, though, who is still working his way back. After debuting Dec. 2 against Oregon, Llewellyn’s only played in five of the Wolverines’ eight games since, spending time in concussion protocol. His playing time remains limited currently, seeing just 8.8 minutes of action. His current role will likely expand, and with added minutes his 2.2 points per game may inflate with it.
Losing four straight games and sitting three games under .500, the Wolverines have certainly taken a lot of losses lately. And as McDaniel works to meet his academic goals, losing him may be the biggest one yet.