Michigan Men’s Basketball Team Issues Odd Suspension for Leading Scorer
Michigan Wolverines point guard Dug McDaniel has been suspended for six games—but there’s a catch.
McDaniel, the team’s leading scorer, is only suspended for road games. He will still be able to play in games in Ann Arbor.
The suspension is for academic reasons, the school announced.
“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 toward 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.”
McDaniel, a 5'11" sophomore from Washington, D.C., is averaging 17.8 points in 15 games this season. Michigan has 16 games remaining in the regular season, eight of which are on the road. Notable games McDaniel is set to miss include a visit to the No. 1 Purdue Boilermakers on Jan. 23, a rivalry matchup with the Michigan State Spartans on Jan. 30 and a trip to Champaign to face the No. 10 Illinois Fighting Illini on Feb. 13.
Michigan has lost four in a row and is 6–9 on the season. The Wolverines are tied for last in the Big Ten with a 1–3 record in conference games.