Roddy Gayle Jr. predicts Crisler Center will be 'rocking' in 2024-25

Rivalries run deep in college sports. The hatred of schools, fanbases, colors and even entire states proves just how much college sports mean to some diehard fans.

And perhaps no rivalry features more hatred than Michigan-Ohio State.

The Wolverines and Buckeyes despise each other, especially on the gridiron.

Although not a star football player, Roddy Gayle Jr. has been a part of the heated rivalry on the basketball court. He helped the Buckeyes to an 84-61 win over the Wolverines in early March.

Now, after two seasons at Ohio State where he was "taught to hate" Michigan, Gayle Jr. resides in Ann Arbor as a member of the Wolverines' basketball team.

He joined Michigan basketball's radio play-by-play announcer Brian Boesch, on Tuesday's episode of the 'Defend the Block' podcast to discuss the transfer.

"Obviously, coach getting fired, my mind was racing those last few months of the basketball season just because it's hard to stay in the moment," Gayle Jr. said. "So, not knowing where your next steps would be was pretty hard for me, but after the end of the season, I decided I would like to enter the portal with Ohio State still being one of my options."

"So, at first, when Michigan was announced a possible landing spot, it was weird for me; kind of being at Ohio State for two years, I was kind of taught to hate them, but not really knowing why. But coach Dusty [May] and his staff reached out, and it made the most sense. I feel like they put the most effort into recruiting me."

May and the staff prioritized Gayle Jr. by bringing him in for a visit during Michigan football's Maize vs. Blue Spring Game the weekend of April 20, when Gayle Jr. says he committed to the Wolverines along with Tre Donaldson.

Despite not knowing much about Michigan basketball's roster situation, Gayle Jr. put his trust in May and the coaching staff.

"I will say at first it was weird just because these past two years we had transfers come in, but you kind of had the same core of people that you knew. Like, I kind of came into Michigan not really knowing anybody. Me and Tre came on a visit together, and we committed together, but that's probably the only person I felt closest to."

"Like, yeah, we had the Michigan guys from last year and the years before that I kind of knew, but I feel like we all came together for a common goal, which is to win. So I feel like that allows people to get together more."

Gayle Jr. is coming off a season full of adversity. He spent a good chunk of the season dealing with a wrist injury; he shot just 28 percent from beyond the arc, which was 14 percentage points worse than his freshman season mark and Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann was fired in February.

Now, though, Gayle Jr.'s wrist is healed, and he has a constant variable at head coach as May begins his first season at the helm in Ann Arbor.

"I feel like last year I had a pretty decent year," Gayle Jr. said. "Obviously teams are going to scout me to be a driver, more of a driver. So now with a healthy wrist, I feel like my capability to be a 40 percent free throw shooter or higher will be able to start to show because how healthy I feel right now and the offense that coach May has and the kind of confidence that the coaching staff and my teammates have in me, I feel like is unmatched. So I feel like with everything, all the surrounding things, I feel like will be allowed for me to be able to thrive."

"I pride myself on defense these past two years. Like, that was kind of my role on the Ohio State men's basketball team. So even I know that's going to be my role moving forward. I know I'm going to have to be a two-way player in the league if I go, and I'm going to have to be a two-way player here. So I'm going to pride myself on being the best at what I do, because I know that we can't; we don't want to win games in the hundreds. I know that's not coach's philosophy. Even coach Mike Boynton, I know he's a very great defensive coach."

"[Michigan's] style of play is what I want to play. I feel like their style of play allows me to show the world who I really am, just the free basketball I play, the freelance, ... and the great guys around me. Not only that, my teammates, I feel like we have a great system of people who can play off of each other, which is amazing. So I'm glad I'm at Michigan."

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