Michigan suspends PG Dug McDaniel for next six road games
McDaniel will be active for home games.
The suspension begins with Michigan’s trip to Maryland on Thursday.
“We have very high standards within our program, culture and university,” coach Juwan Howard said in a statement. “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 and needs to meet.
“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.”
Howard said there would be no further comment on the matter.
McDaniel, a 5-foot-11 sophomore from Washington, D.C., has been Michigan’s best player so far this season. He has started all 15 games for the Wolverines, averaging 17.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He had two 33-point performances in nonconference play against Florida and Oregon.
He will miss games at Maryland (Thursday), Purdue (Jan. 23), Michigan State (Jan. 30), Nebraska (Feb. 10), Illinois (Feb. 13) and Northwestern (Feb. 22).
Without McDaniel, expect Howard to rely on former Princeton transfer Jaelin Llewellyn to run the show. He played just eight games last season before suffering a torn ACL.
McDaniel’s suspension is yet another headline in what is quickly becoming a lost season for Michigan. With Howard still recovering from offseason heart surgery, the Wolverines started the season with three wins, including a blowout of St. John’s at Madison Square Garden. They’ve lost nine of their 12 games since that win over the Red Storm, while Howard was the subject of a school review over an alleged practice altercation with strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson.
Michigan enters Thursday’s game 6-9 overall and 1-3 in Big Ten play.