Stewartville (Minn.) power forward Will Tschetter was an afterthought to some hoops recruiting followers as a member of Michigan’s No. 1-rated 2021 class. He’s quickly making people realize he’s likely to be a big part of its on-court success.
Michigan assistant Phil Martelli told us this summer they’d ‘all be starring in a movie about his life someday’ should he contribute as expected … a small-town farm boy makes it big in a new environment type story that’s gotten off to a great start.
“For the first six weeks it was super nice just to be able to get adjusted and acclimated to Ann Arbor, workouts, a little taste of what school is like … super nice just to be able to kind of get a feel for everything,” Tschetter said on Michigan basketball play-by-play man Brian Boesch’s Defend the Block podcast. “… Everything is great. I would just say Coach [Juwan] Howard, the whole coaching staff, they’re great guys. Even more this summer, I saw it on and off the court just getting to the know them.
“Obviously, with the recruiting process [and COVID], not being able to come on campus really sucked, but I had no doubt in my mind when I came here, they said what it was going to be.”
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He’s been back home like many of his teammates before classes started, a chance to enjoy some time with their families and friends before the grind really hit. He’s refreshed and ready to impact, having added tremendous strength working with coach Jon Sanderson and having improved his game.
Coaches and observers won’t guarantee how many minutes he’ll get, but it’s clear he’s going to impact. Some believe he’ll play like frosh Terrance Williams did last year, providing a spark when needed.
No matter what, he’s ready to embrace his role and everything about Michigan. He might have been much more heavily recruited had it not been for the pandemic, but he’s certain he’s where he should be.
“I was really patient. Whatever happened, happened,” he said.” Everything happens for a reason. Obviously, I’m super fortunate and thankful to be in the place I am right now. I love where I am. Regardless of what happened, I felt like if they came to see my play and I was playing my hardest and at my best, things would fall into place.”
They did, and he feel in love with the campus on an impromptu visit. He couldn’t meet anyone or go inside the facilities, but he didn’t need to.
“Just the school in general, how great of a school it is. I’m just here to get my education, and I’m super excited about that with classes just starting,” he said. “Lastly, the culture here. Winning and trying to get another national championship has always been a dream of mine. I’m hoping we can get that done.”
He’s been 100 percent as advertised and more. His goal is always to bring a ‘positive mental attitude’ and to ‘bring the juice,’ and he’s done that just about every time he’s taken part in an event. He wants to challenge people around him to match his energy, and that’s already made him a favorite.
His background has helped in that respect. Former Michigan football coach Lloyd Carr always liked the two-sport athletes, believing it showed off their overall athleticism and ability. Tschetter excelled in three — basketball, football and discus in track and field — and he credits that with helping him succeed.
"Being competitive and just being put in competitive decisions — you just can't replicate that," Tschetter said. "That's something my football coach always said at high school just to try to promote three-sport athletes.
“You can't replicate being put in those high-pressure situations, other than when you're in that game. You're in that moment. The more that you can do that to yourself, the more it's going to help you in every other sport."
He’s grown a lot in his six weeks on campus, starting on defense. Coaches have demanded they excel on that end of the court, he noted, and he’s made huge strides. Known as a versatile ‘shooting’ big man, he’s done the little things on the court to put himself in position to play this fall, from running the court hard in transition to working the offensive glass.
Though he’s not sure how much he’ll play, he knows he’s in the right spot.
"When you're in those Zoom calls, a lot of them are just like same old, same old — just kind of like a business pitch," Tschetter said. "I would say that, with [Michigan], it really felt more genuine. Not as much business-like … more of, 'we want you to actually join our legitimate family.' People always say that, but you could tell that they meant it.”
He’s now a member of that family and ready to do his part.
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