Duke transfer Joey Baker has been cleared to return for full contact after undergoing hip surgery during the offseason. While Michigan assistant coach Joey Baker has seen very little of Baker in a practice setting, it's clear what he was brought to Ann Arbor to be for the Wolverines.

A leader on and off the court and a mentor to a younger team.

Martelli, who appeared on the Defend the Block podcast this week, was asked about what he's seen from Baker so far.

"Joey is very vocal," Martelli said. "Very engaged, a willing sharer. Older, right? An older dude has seen a lot. Never that we would need to pry into this nor does he need to do this but I think seeing a different perspective. He's basically been in the Duke culture for four years and committed early, went to school early and it's a joy to watch him see something different. Not better, just different. Different doesn't have to be better or worse, it just has to be different. He is enjoying that.

"Very cerebral. He has a way of talking to his teammates that's not condescending. It's not from, oh, I've been here and I've been in the Final Four. No. It's a basketball IQ conversation."

As for what he can provide on the court, Martelli believes the jury is still out for what he can provide for the Wolverines this season.

Of course, there's plenty of tape of what he can do during his time at Duke, however, this is a different program, with different players and a different style of play.

The picture will come much more clear in the days and weeks ahead.

"Now that we've been with him a couple times on the court, more bounce than I thought," Martelli said. "He's looking—again, we haven't been competitive yet so I have to see the whole of the game. He's a veteran guy playing with some newbies. He'll have a major impact and he'll have a major impact in the locker room because he gets the balance.

"This isn't just basketball, it's not a factory. You have to be part of this culture, the Michigan culture, and the sub-culture, which is the team."