Why Will Tschetter is a breakout candidate for Michigan basketball in 2022
Michigan wing Will Tschetter spent his freshman season shelved, alongside fellow freshman Isaiah Barnes, as a redshirt so he could get a full season of development and conditioning behind the scenes.
Often looked at as the forgotten member of the Wolverines' No. 1-ranked recruiting class, the only three-star of the bunch, Tschetter has the potential to be more than just a roster filler player or impressive bench mob extraordinaire.
Here's why.
In fact, despite us having to explain our viewpoint, assistant coach Saddi Washington said it best during a recent interview on WTKA 1050, Tschetter refuses to be outworked, which often bodes well for the future.
"Will is the ultimate, ultimate worker," Washington said. "That kid lives in the gym, he probably has a blanket in his locker because that's how much time he spends in the gym. His energy is infectious. With Will, he brings all what he learned being a multi-positional guy, being on the scout team, learning different offenses, that's going to help speed up his learning curve. He's going to fight for time on the court next year. I think he could be one of those fan favorites when he checks into the game because of the energy that he brings to the court."
Not to be outdone, during the same interview, fellow assistant coach Phil Martelli took a moment to praise the character of Tschetter.
"If I could for a second, brag about Will," Martelli said. "He went home to Minnesota. He and his mother drove back to a hospital here to visit a kid who lost his leg to cancer. Drove back. All this other banging your head and, oh my god, what has this game come to? Where's the essence of what college basketball should be about? It's not about NLI, it's not about transfer portals. It's about a kid going home and saying, you know what, I could make a difference and drive back here. That's wh everybody roots for Will Tschetter."
Now, character doesn't equate to on-court success. We all know that to be true. However, character, and being a good teammate, on top of putting the hours in the gym often equates to having success and building team chemistry.
We all saw Tschetter's antics on the bench during the good moments. Always there to cheer for his teammates and spur on his team during crucial moments.
His teammates love him and that only helps build chemistry once he gets his time on the court and we feel that moment will be coming soon.
A two-sport athlete in high school, Tschetter had opportunities to play Division 1 football. He turned down Mark Dantonio in favor of basketball as well as turning down in-state school Minnesota at the time as well.
That athleticism, now that he's going to have a full season-and-a-half of conditioning under Jon Sanderson, is going to pay dividends for him on the court.
Tschetter is a three-point shooter and can also cut to the basket. His physical style of play can help spell the starting group and take advantage of some of the more tired groups out there that he's faces.
While he might not see the court on day one, he has a chance to make an impact for his team this season outside of his wild celebrations on the bench.
Will Tschetter's time is coming and we're all here to witness it.
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