The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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28 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2023 2023 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE gym. We have an idea what Will Tschet- ter is like on a day-to-day basis, for ex- ample, or Terrance Williams. "So, no — I don't sense defiance. I don't know if that's in young players anymore … backed up into a corner, so we're going to show the world. That might be wasted energy." They are anxious to meet their new teammates and get started, however, and all three have great potential to help. Love helped lead North Carolina to the national title game two years ago with an epic NCAA Tournament performance, and he averaged 16.7 points and 2.8 as- sists last year for the Tar Heels. Bur- nett, recruited by Michigan out of high school, is on his third school, starting at Texas Tech before moving to Alabama. The 6-foot-4 wing put up 5.6 points and 2.0 rebounds and started the first nine games last year before getting hurt. Jackson, meanwhile, scored 13 points at Michigan two seasons ago for Seton Hall in a win for the Pirates. The 6-foot- 10 Detroit native averaged 6.5 points per game but shot 37.5 percent from behind the three-point line in showing his range. Martelli couldn't comment on any of them since they hadn't officially signed yet, but he did talk about Michigan's one incoming frosh who has — shooting guard George Washington III of Dayton (Ohio) Chaminade Julienne Catholic. The 6-foot-2 standout was Gatorade Player of the Year in Ohio after averag- ing 24.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game while connect- ing on 47.3 percent of his three-pointers (61 of 129). "As soon as you see him, you know you're dealing with a sponge, and that he wants to learn," Martelli said. "His eyes are bright; he has a real excitement about being here. What I want for him is ... a nice, calm setting, because he's jumped around. His family has jumped around … not in a negative way. His fa- ther moved jobs, so they moved. "He has this way about him. He's older, carries himself older than he is, but there's also a kid's joy in that he's playing a game. He's really improved. His versatility is the biggest part of his game — he's a good two-way player." ALL HANDS ON DECK All of them will have a chance to contribute immediately given the state of the roster, and those already on the team who didn't play much last year — sophomore Youssef "Yo-Yo" Khayat, for example — will also be asked to step up. "I would say this for all of them … I think everybody has to help," Martelli said. "We'll call it the way it is — if two guys are going to go in the draft and you have an All-Big Ten player that is not here, everybody has to help. To think that any one of them is going to do it … that's not factual. That's not going to happen. "So, it has to be help across the board. Everybody has to do their part, and their part starts now. There has to be im- provement." The coaches, meanwhile, have been doing their part to gain traction with recruits in the portal and the 2024 and 2025 classes. They've made progress, but NIL uncertainty has made it a tougher chore. Dug McDaniel averaged 8.6 points and 3.6 rebounds per game after being pressed into the starting point guard role as a freshman last season. He is one of only two returning starters for the Wolverines in 2023-24. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL