Freshmen take lead for Howard

"And I went through (a coaching change) as a player. I told them you're going to have good days and bad days and feel a lot of emotions -- angry, sad, uncertain -- whatever it might be," Howard said. "And I told them I'll be there if they need anything. But they've got each other, too. You know how close these guys are.

"I just appreciate Mike Thomas for having trust in me to keep this together. I really appreciate that. It isn't about me; it's about the program. My job is to keep them together."

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