The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2022 THE WOLVERINE 41 MICHIGAN BASKETBALL Let's put pressure on their ball as much as they're putting pressure on our ball. "His growth, to me, yes, he has to be- come a better shooter. That will be reps and a little alteration in his form. We want to make sure that he becomes an elite foul shooter and that he becomes, in affectionate terms, the pitbull on de- fense that we have seen. Last year, at this time, Mike Smith wasn't a pitbull. Then, Juwan Howard stayed on him in every minute of every day, of every practice, of every game. It changed. That's the same we will expect from Frankie." Martelli and the coaching staff are not looking to speed up anyone's progress. It is a steady climb for a freshman class that could be the bones of a contend- ing team moving forward. They are fine with a slower approach. "We have a thing around the program, 1 percent. Everybody, from Juwan all the way down, to our walk-ons and to our managers, we are asked to get 1 per- cent better in one area today. That's ex- actly what we're looking for from those young guys. [For example] Frankie Col- lins [and] his foul shooting. He went 2 for 2 [at North Carolina]. That was his 1 percent. It didn't go really well for us across the board with our team [in that game]. He was 2 for 2. Now, can we go 4 for 4 in your next opportunity?" Martelli noted the expectation is not for the rookies to " become overnight fabulous." It's a process. He points to star center Hunter Dick- inson as the example. By the end of his debut campaign, he was a second-team All-American — but it didn't start that way. "Five games into his freshman year … Hunter Dickinson did not start, and he did not start by merit," Martelli ex- plained. "Austin Davis won that job. It wasn't like Hunter came in and, oh, that's it. … He worked to get there, by be- ing 1 percent better each and every day." Michigan has high expectations, but Collins is not feeling the pressure to be a finished product in the present. He and his freshman classmates are focused on making adjustments and developing as basketball players. "I don't think it's pressure," Collins said. "We just have to adjust a little and get the hang of things. It's a long season so we have time. Right now, we're figur- ing things out, watching film, talking to each other, being a team and staying together. That's all that matters." — Anthony Broome ISAIAH LIVERS, MIKE SMITH GET THEIR CHAMPIONSHIP RINGS Juwan Howard dropped in on two of his former players recently, bringing gifts with him. The Michigan head coach saw the NBA G-League's Motor City Cruise, featuring Isaiah Livers, play the Sioux Falls Skyforce with point guard Mike Smith Dec. 8. He gave both their 2020-21 Big Ten championship rings. "That was awesome," Michigan as- sistant Saddi Washington, also on the scene, said. "Derrick Walton [was there with the Cruise]. It was really cool, be- cause the opportunity to really see those guys further their careers at the profes- sional level is special. " We 're a lways ta l k i n g to t h e m , whether it's through text or through phone calls, periodically when they would check in with us, so to be able to see them live and in person was special." It was even more special to be there to see Howard deliver their champion- ship rings to them personally, he added. Neither was able to make the ceremony before the Wolverines took on Buffalo Nov. 10. "All those things are special. We wish those guys well, Mike and D-Walt and Isaiah," Washington said. "That's the cool part of it, because they're connected. "You talk about a connected group. Once you're a Michigan man you're al- ways a Michigan man. We're constantly hearing from different players who've played here just checking in, checking in on the guys. That is definitely really cool." Smith scored 10 points for the Sky- force in a 106-99 loss, while Walton notched six for the Cruise. Livers did not play (coach's decision). — Chris Balas Juwan Howard delivered Big Ten championship rings to a pair of former Wolverines who have moved on to the G-League: Isaiah Livers (third from left) and Mike Smith (fourth from right). PHOTO VIA TWITTER @JUWANHOWARD "The more I get out there, the more it slows down," Collins told the media in early December. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL