Why was Dug McDaniel suspended? Exploring reasons behind Michigan’s decision to sideline star guard

The Michigan men's basketball team will be without key player Dug McDaniel on the road after he was suspended for academic issues, the school announced Wednesday. The point guard leads the Wolverines in points and will only be active for home games moving forward.

The Wolverines will have to find a way to replace McDaniel's scoring production and leadership during road games.

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Why was Dug McDaniel suspended?

Michigan's Dug McDaniel

Dug McDaniel has been suspended for the next six road games due to academic issues. The suspension starts Thursday when Michigan travels to Maryland and runs through early February.

With just eight road games left, the floor general will only be available for two away contests upon returning.

McDaniel announced his suspension on Instagram. In the post, McDaniel asked fans to respect his privacy regarding academic problems and refrain from asking for more details.

Michigan coach Juwan Howard addressed McDaniel's suspension 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 for away games, McDaniel will focus on academics, 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.”

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Dug McDaniel’s impact has been prolific in his two years with Michigan

Dug McDaniel's rise has been nothing short of meteoric during his two seasons donning Maize and Blue.

Thrown into the fire as a freshman after injury felled Jaelin Llewellyn, McDaniel took the reins, averaging 8.6 points over the final 26 contests.

The sophomore's evolution has continued at warp speed. McDaniel has stepped on the gas in his second year, pouring in 17.8 points per outing. He's been more than just a scoring dynamo, though, as he has created opportunities with his distribution, averaging a team-high 5.1 assists per game.

With graduate guard Nimari Burnett expected to handle the shooting guard, Michigan will look to Jaelin Llewellyn to take over at point guard during McDaniel's suspension. Llewellyn, recovering from ACL surgery, returned in December after a year-long absence.

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McDaniel's suspension compounds Michigan's tumultuous season

Michigan's HC Juwan Howard and Dug McDaniel

McDaniel's suspension marks another setback in a tumultuous season turning south for Michigan (6-9, 1-3 Big Ten).

Despite still recovering from heart surgery, coach Juwan Howard steered the Wolverines to a promising 3-0 start. But the Maize and Blue have crumbled since, losing four in a row, including a shocking home loss to the McNeese State Cowboys, and nine of their last 12 games.

Meanwhile, a school probe is investigating allegations of a practice spat between Howard and strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson last month.

Now forced to soldier on without their scoring leader for six straight road tests, the reeling Wolverines face even longer odds to turn the tide. Michigan enters Thursday's matchup at Maryland desperate for solutions.