What Jay Smith said during Michigan Basketball Media Day
On the new-look team
New opportunities and a new light on our team, absolutely. It's exciting, it's fun when you have new faces. You have a few veterans who have helped us. We have a good synergy about us and it's exciting, it really is.
On how the program is different without Juwan Howard
It's been good. Our staff, obviously, is a veteran staff with Phil, Saddi, H, myself, Jarron played here, Chris Hunter. Kind of been through the paces so it makes it a little bit easier when you all have responsibility and to pick up the slack a little bit. We've been down this road a little bit before. Again, you just want to make sure you're doing things right and staying together when there's—I don't want to say new obstacles, it's new opportunities for coaches, new opportunities for players to step up and to make sure we're communicating and everybody is in alignment with it and marching forward.
On adding another player to the roster
I know what you're asking (laughs), you're beating around the bush right now. You're probably referring to Lee, that paperwork is in the works and just going to kind of leave it there right now until we find out more that's going on with it. It's kind of a daily thing now, just trying to make sure the paper is in alignment and hopefully something will happen soon. Can't guarantee anything.
On Tray Jackson
He has that COVID year so he that one year plus a COVID year so he'll have two years to go. That's a nice benefit because any time you go into a new system, it's just like a new job, it takes a while to get adjusted. Some adjust quicker, some not as quick. Once you gain that experience of a system, obviously the second year is a little bit easier because you know the terminology and how people work. We're trying to get our new players caught up to speed. The nice thing about it is we've added age we've added experience, which usually helps in the growth process.
On what the outlook of the team
I think it's just for us as growth, getting better each time we step on the court. I know it's cliche but getting better each day and opportunity. Focus on the process of getting better and not looking too far down the road because you get caught up in the early predictions and all those things everybody likes to read, I get it. I'm not bashing anybody. It is part of it, I get it, but it's like today and tomorrow is about getting better each and every day. The nice thing, again, our players have been coming in. They've been working hard. It's all you can ask out of somebody. Paying attention to detail, creating good habits each and every day. Every time we play, there's always somebody that plays a little better than somebody so you gotta make sure you stay somewhere in the middle. Don't get too high, don't get too low. Again, focus on that and focus on our team and making sure we're playing well together. Like football is a team sport, you have to play well together. First, again in the morning hours we've got guys in the gym right now shooting and working out before we practice. There's a good synergy about them and I think we just work in the dark a little bit and keep getting better.
On Dug McDaniel's progress
I think he's made great progress. I think he's becoming a little bit more vocal. Dug is not an overly loud, talkative, person but Duggie is continually getting better. He's taken steps this summer by being here all summer and developing his body a little bit more. I think he's shown a little bit more leadership both on and off the court. Only time tells when we lace it up and play, all intentions and everything pointing in the right direction, Duggie is making huge progress.
On Olivier Nkamhoua
Obviously he added some real toughness to our backline. He's experienced, when you have a guy of his size and stature and he goes and plays in the World Cup, that's a great experience. He brings all that to a front with a young Tarris Reed and, really, a young Will Tschetter right now, he had played a little bit but hasn't played a lot. Played some last year and gave us some quality minutes, so that's a plus. We brought that and his toughness and he's vocal. He's really a vocal young man, understands how to play, has great knowledge of the game. Looking forward to making sure he provides some leadership.
On Tarris Reed
We're counting on him, obviously, to take steps in the right direction. He's a young man that stayed here all summer, worked on his body. Worked on his game. Improve his foul shooting. All fingers crossed, right? He's done a great job with that. He's just a really good piece for what we're trying to get done. I think last year if you watched him he had some silly fouls that just body out of place, ball screen not quite set, he'd clock a guy. I think he's starting to understand a little bit now the timing of ball screens and how they need to be set to stay out of foul trouble. It'll be a growth process for him too. All intentions he's moving in that direction.
On how does Juwan's absence impact official visits and recruiting
He's been communicating. He had a two, three week window in there where he wasn't. Now he's communicating. The nice things about the guys we're recruiting and I think everybody understands this, this is not appendicitis, this is a huge surgery that takes time to heal. I think—I shouldn't say I think, I know our recruits understand and their parents understand. It's a process to get him back and they're patiently waiting and so are we on his return. Prayers and thoughts are with him every day. That's a big part of it.