Jerry Stackhouse faces NBA teammate Juwan Howard in Vanderbilt-Michigan NIT basketball matchup

It's been 20 years since the Vanderbilt basketball team and Michigan last played, but there will be some familiarity when the two meet Saturday in the NIT at Memorial Gym (11 a.m. CT, ESPN).

Commodores coach Jerry Stackhouse and the Wolverines coach Juwan Howard are basketball buddies from way back. They've traveled similar career paths since their playing days and were even teammates in the NBA on a couple of occasions.

This will be their first time facing each other as head coaches and that will bring an interesting dynamic to the second-round game between two teams that both fell short of getting into the NCAA Tournament, but are focused on making a splash in the NIT.

"Juwan is a great, great guy and I always enjoyed being around him and his family," Stackhouse said. "He was a great friend, great teammate and is now a great coach and I'm looking forward to competing against him."

Before tipoff Stackhouse and Howard, both in their fourth seasons at their respective schools, might get to share time reminiscing about their time together in the NBA.

"One of the funniest things ever was when we were at (Howard's house in 2008) and we came into the family room after a game and both of his sons Jace and Jet were in there and (Dallas coach) Avery Johnson came in and the kids were like, 'Why you don't put my daddy in the game?'" Stackhouse said with a smile. "Juwan had just gotten to Dallas so he was still kind of figuring out his way, but those kids were brutally honest."

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Stackhouse, 48, and Howard, 50, were college stars at the same time. Howard left Michigan after his junior year and was the fifth overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft and Stackhouse left North Carolina after his sophomore season and was the third overall pick in 1995.

Stackhouse played 18 seasons in the NBA and Howard played 19. Along with being teammates at Dallas they were together at Miami and in 2010-11 and helped the Heat make it to the NBA finals where it lost to Dallas.

Both played for eight different NBA teams and retired in 2013. Stackhouse made the All-Rookie team while Howard made the All-Rookie second team. Stackhouse was an All-Star in 2000 and 2002 and Howard was an All-Star in 1996.

Both also began their coaching careers as NBA assistants.

Stackhouse was asked if he ever expected he and Howard would end up as coaches?

"In Miami he was kind of the elder statesman of the team; didn't play a lot, but everybody bragged about what he meant to that team, what he meant to that lockerroom," Stackhouse said.

"So I could envision him transitioning to coaching. As for myself, I was always one of the guys who gave back to the younger guys because I didn't have that early, early in my career. I had a soft spot for helping younger guys and that was part of my early introduction to being a coach."

Stackhouse has led Vanderbilt (21-14), in the NIT for the second straight season, to 11 wins in the last 13 games. The Commodores beat Yale 71-62 in the first round.

Michigan (18-14), which made it to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in 2021-22, knocked off Toledo 90-80 in the NIT first round, which snapped a three-game losing streak.

"Juwan's been doing a great job at Michigan," Stackhouse said. "They're in kind of the same situation we were in, a bubble team that didn't quite make it so they have a lot to play for. It looks like it's going to be a great game."

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on Twitter @MikeOrganWriter.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Jerry Stackhouse vs Juwan Howard in Vanderbilt-Michigan NIT basketball