The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1371232
20 THE WOLVERINE JUNE/JULY 2021 2021 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE athlete, and I think his versatility out on the perimeter and his ability to get downhill will translate well. "With all of our guys, we talk about them being two-way players. That remains to be seen if he comes in and can do that, but certainly from an ath- letic standpoint, he has the physical tools to be a really high-level, two- way player in the Big Ten." Barnes averaged 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists during a COVID-abbreviated season this year. "He embraces a challenge," Martelli noted. "He's not one of those guys who says, 'I'm one of the five best players in Chicago, so I'm good.' No. He wants more. And that length on the wing is what we're accustomed to with Franz [Wagner]. That's what you want." Howard didn't have to wait long for his second pledge, landing 6-8, 240-pound power forward Will Tschetter, from tiny, rural Stewartville (Minn.) High on July 6 last year. CO- VID had prevented most from seeing Rivals.com's No. 133 senior nation- ally, but the coaches happened upon his film when a few of Tschetter 's people started to get the word out, and it didn't take long for Howard and Co. to respond. Though the competition wasn't top- notch, Tschetter showed the makings of an outstanding stretch four. He can put the ball on the floor, shot 44 percent from three-point range this year and dominated in finishing over smaller defenders. He'll have to adjust to the speed of the game, but he showed in a nation- ally televised contest with national power Minneapolis Minnehaha Acad- emy featuring 7-footer Chet Hol- mgren, the nation's No. 1 2021 pros- pect, that he could hold his own. He scored 19 points and made four long triples, with three others rimming in and out. "Quite honestly, every freshman that comes in has to make the transi- tion [to adjust to the speed], not just Will," Washington said. "Everybody's learning curve is different. Will has that toughness and grit about him that over the course of his career, I can see him being a favorite Wolverine when it's all said and done. "His football background … he has that toughness and resilience about him. The other thing about him — he's been a winner his entire career, like the rest of these guys. Winning translates. That's something Coach definitely looks for in recruiting." Tschetter finished third in the state of Minnesota in scoring (30.3 points per game) and added 11.8 rebounds per game. "I'm praying his game is as terrific as we think it can be, because if it is, we're all going to be in a movie about his life someday," Martelli said. "The kid is in the band at his school. He's on the track team. He's second in the state in discus or shot put. "He gets up at 5 and goes to weight training, shoots, then off to school where has a 3.99999 GPA and is still angry about a B-plus … and then works on a farm? Come on." Four days after Tschetter's pledge, Grand Rapids (Mich.) Christian shoot- ing guard and future McDonald's All-American Kobe Bufkin jumped aboard, continuing the momentum. The 6-4, 175-pounder and consensus top-50 recruit nationally played only six games with his high school team after the season got off to a late start in January, then breaking his wrist Feb. 20, but he can score it from anywhere on the floor and create his own shot. "The first thing that pops in my head is he has a smooth game about him. To me, smooth means he has a mature offensive game," Martelli said. "I like the fact that he's a quote/un- quote local kid and there's pressure, but he recognizes that. "The family recognized that, too, and I think that's a great thing. He speaks like there's a little bit more stake in the fight, so to speak." That could be especially useful in the in-state rivalry game with Michi- gan State, for example. It helps, too, that he's continued to evolve as a shooter. The Wolverines want to spread the floor, and they need snip- ers to be able to do it. "We certainly pride ourselves on keeping a few shooters in the stable," Washington added. "Kobe is defi- nitely one of those kids whose game has and continues to evolve from a shooting perspective, from a slashing perspective." Grand Rapids (Mich.) Christian McDonald's All-American Kobe Bufkin embraced being a "local" recruit — the only in-state signee — for Michigan. PHOTO BY PRO'S VISION