Michigan Wolverines basketball coach Juwan Howard and his staff had the opportunity to work out with their number one ranked recruiting class this summer, and it was as good as hoped. The veterans and freshmen have bonded, and the makings of the 2021-22 team began.
Assistant coach Phil Martelli wouldn’t make any guarantees, nor was he ready to name starters. But he did say he loved the chemistry and the work ethic he saw from each of the newcomers, speaking at length on each Tuesday.
“The term we’ve been using is we have a new team,” Martelli told play by play man Brian Boesch on his Defend the Block podcast. “Really, we have seven guys. It wasn’t time to figure out rotation and minutes and all that kind of stuff. This was really about seven guys understanding Michigan basketball, and add on to that Juwan Howard’s Michigan basketball … the vocabulary, the drills. The fact that it’s not just on the walls where it says ‘family.’ It’s something we live and we breathe, and it all stems from Juwan.
“The basketball was choppy, but the idea of in September they’re coming in and this team has been formed … it isn’t fully formed, but it has been formed. Caleb Houstan coming back from his international experience [with team Canada] and then getting on the court. There was something each week that added to the growth of our team.”
Houstan helped lead the Canadians to a bronze medal at the FIBA U-19 Tournament. He’s since shown off his beautiful stroke in workouts and practices.
RELATED: Four-Star Big Man Tarris Reed Jr. Commits To Michigan
“He has one of those jump shots that you look at in the instructional videos. It’s beautiful,” Martelli said. “I will say this — I was away for a couple days on family business and when I came back, I had forgotten how big he was. He has really good size. I don’t know about his arm length, and that was really what separated Franz … Franz rebounded balls he couldn’t get to.
“But first of all, he’s a beautiful human being. To me, the thing that stands out is he has a jump shot that is elite.”
Frosh big man Moussa Diabate is raw, but he’s already impacting on both ends of the floor.
“He’s one of those kids defensively who sees the game from that side, and no young players do that,” Martelli continued. “They’re all about scoring and that kind of thing. Now, we’re going to have to rein him in, but I would rather have his enthusiasm, the contagious enthusiasm … his teammates are going to love him, the fans are going to love him, and he’s different because he can and will affect shots at the rim."
He’ll need work on his shot, as will point guard Frankie Collins. But Collins recognizes the learning opportunities he’s getting with assistant and former pro point guard Howard Eisley, Martelli said, and even the experiences transfer DeVante Jones can share.
“I can see Frankie gravitating to him. It’s not as if he’s on such an ego trip that he’ll think, ‘you guys wanted me,’” Martelli said. “No. He really welcomes growth on many different occasions. He has reached out to me and says, what could I have done better, or what did you see?’
“Sometimes, I’m less of a voice because Howard Eisley does the positioning work, Saddi Washington does the wing work. I’ll just make a comment or two, look … I will not talk about his game, but more about his body language or his pace. The next time he’ll hit me and say, ‘was I better?’ He’s not looking for me to blow smoke.”
Wing Isaiah Barnes, a Chicago native, was a bit in awe when he arrived, Martelli continued.
“Some of it was really the Chicago connection with Coach Howard. He doesn’t want to let Coach Howard down,” Martelli said. “Some of it was the naturalness of being a freshman. He is loved. All these guys are. Wonderful parents.
“… What I’ve seen grow with him is his pace. There’s a college pace to practicing, to working out. Isaiah didn’t have that on day one. He has that after six weeks in the gym.”
Shooting guard Kobe Bufkin, a McDonald’s All-American, might be the most pleasant surprise. Everyone knew he was good, but he’s got moxie beyond his years.
“I’m just amazed at how smooth and how calm he approaches the game,” Martelli praised. “The big thing we’re going to work through with him is, is he a combo guard or is he a two guard? Does he get some time running offense or are we going to be concentrating on that beautiful, beautiful stroke?
“His game off the bounce is elite. Eli’s game off the cut is elite. Kobe has this pace … sometimes you get goofy about this, but you think it’s a left-handed thing — he has that lefty swagger. I don’t want to be sacrilegious, but when people think of Jalen Rose, they think of his swagger. Kobe Bufkin is not Jalen Rose, but he certainly has that left-handed pace of carrying himself.”
Finally, Minnesota big man Will Tschetter was only a three-star prospect when he arrived, but he’s going to have a role, Martelli insisted.
“The ranking now is meaningless. They’re in college, and they now have to prove their game,” Martelli said. “Will never ran from his ranking, nor did we run from his ranking or did he feel he has to justify the opportunity at Michigan. The dude just lights you up when you walk in the gym. He’s just so excited and he’s so versatile.
“You’ve often heard Juwan Howard use the term ‘Swiss Army knife,’ and that more was predicated on the three and four man. Isaiah Livers, Franz Wagner … swiss army knife.
Will has already been established because he has a very, very high IQ. He has these versatile skills. If somebody says, ‘do you think he’ll score from the perimeter?, Yes, I do. Can he score back to the basket? [yes].”
His explosiveness has been the biggest surprise, Martelli said.
“Some people, even a lot of Michigan fans, saw him against [elite big man] Chet Holmgren and his feet looked heavy, and a comment was even made on that broadcast about how when he tightens his body. He did that before he got to us.
“But he has a lot of ways to impact a game, and I think in his case, because we’re young, he’s going to have more of an opportunity. A year ago, I felt the same way about Terrance Williams. People don’t know. I remember making a comment … he impacts winning and losing. He didn’t get a lot of opportunities, but if you go all the way back, if Terrance Williams isn’t Terrance Williams, we lose to Oakland, and then maybe all the magic isn’t there all year long.”
He’s part of the great locker room atmosphere, and so is Tschetter, Martelli said.
“Terrance, when he got his opportunities, he made the most of them. Will is going to be the same way,” he said.” I can’t tell you he’s definitely going to play in the opening game against Buffalo and be an 18-minute guy. I don’t know any of that.
“But I do know this. He will impact winning, and he will impact a great gym. We have a GREAT gym and a great locker room. Will Tschetter is a big part of that.”
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Sign up for our daily newsletter and breaking news alerts
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @Balas_Wolverine, @EJHolland_TW,
@JB_ Wolverine, @Clayton Sayfie and @DrewCHallett
• Like us on Facebook
