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The University of Michigan basketball team handed down one of the more bizarre suspensions you’ll see in college sports, delegating Dug McDaniel to bench duty for six games.
An interesting caveat of that suspension is that is only includes road games, as he’ll be able to dress for contests played in Ann Arbor over that time.
Reasoning for the punishment isn’t fully known, though head coach Juwan Howard cited academics in his official statement.
“We have very high standards within our program, culture, and university. Serving as mentors, we need to set the standards and pathways for our young men to succeed.
“Beginning with our game at Maryland, Dug McDaniel will not travel to road games until further notice.
“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.”
Howard closed by saying there would be no further comment on the situation, though McDaniel, himself, felt the need to clarify.
The point guard posted a message on his Instagram story emphasizing that six-game road suspension.
“I will be serving a 6 away game suspension starting tomorrow,” the post read. “I’m active for every home game, though. Please don’t DM me or ask me about it. Just respect it.”
That immediately piqued the interest of followers.
Why only road games? Is there a reason he can’t leave Ann Arbor? Did something happen on his last road trip with the team? Is this strictly academic as Juwan Howard suggests?
“What the hell is going on at Michigan??”
There are more questions than answers at this point.
Former UM player calls out ‘clown show’ program after Dug McDaniel suspension
After hearing of the unique suspension, an unnamed former player reached out to college basketball insider Jeff Goodman. He wasn’t happy about the current situation or the undesired attention it’s now garnered.
One former Michigan player just texted me this:
“Is there a bigger clown show in college basketball right now?”
I mean, it’s pretty much Louisville and then everyone else.
But Michigan certainly firmly entrenched at No. 2 right now. https://t.co/ygMpJmKFKK
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) January 11, 2024
McDaniel is the team’s leading scorer, so the loss is a big one. At least the lineup will be at full strength when playing in front of the Michigan faithful?
The Wolverines are currently 6-9 after a 3-0 start and riding a four-game losing streak. The results likely won’t get much better with their star player playing in a part-time capacity.