The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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[ 2023-24 BASKETBALL PREVIEW ] NOVEMBER 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 35 man Hunter Dickinson (now at Kansas) who averaged 18.5 points per game. Sophomore Tarris Reed Jr. will try to pick up the slack in the middle, while transfers Nimari Burnett (shooting guard, Alabama), Tray Jackson (for- ward, Seton Hall) and Olivier Nkam- houa (power forward/center, Tennessee) will join the returnees to fill in the gaps. VERSATILE FRONTCOURT "Tarris — the blessing is the young man has been in the lab with Juwan in the summer, and now with [assistant Jay Smith," Martelli said. "He's a bet- ter foul shooter. Now, he has to do it with bright lights and a crowd. But he's shooting the ball better from the foul line. He's a more confident face-up shooter. His left hand has really devel- oped. Over the last 4 or 5 days, there's been a growth. "Earlier in the practices, he was get- ting banged and not finishing his lay- ups. Now he's playing through that. He has really good feet for a guy his size, and the last couple days he's started to get back into shot blocking. "His defense was good last year. His defense this year has stayed at that level. With the teaching that Saddi puts in, the scheme, the pattern, it befits his abilities at this point." Jackson, meanwhile, has impressed with his scoring ability and his length. He averaged 6.5 points and 2.2 rebounds per game a year ago and never really found his niche at Seton Hall. He's mak- ing strides on both ends and will have a role on this team. How big a role remains to be seen, but he's invested and taking coaching, and has been a great teammate. "Tray's a really good shooter, and he has that walk … that left-handed walk," Martelli said. "I don't know what it is about them, but their shoulders tip dif- ferently — they carry themselves dif- ferently. When you talk to Tray, he tells you he played backup center in the Big East last year. I think he's getting more comfortable in his own skin, which is a good thing for us. "I go back to that versatility with him. How are you going to guard him? He has the shooting ability to play on the wing. He could play as a thin power forward. Jaelin Llewellyn Hopes To Return To Action Soon Michigan got a huge boost last year when Princeton grad trans- fer Jaelin Llewellyn chose the Wolverines over several other suitors. He was thought to be a missing piece for a potential Big Ten contender. Instead, Llewellyn got off to a slow start and went down with a torn ACL during the Kentucky game in London. He was lost for the season for the second time in his career. Rather than sulk, Llewellyn ap- proached his rehab with fervor and dedication. He's in position to return soon, having graduated to running, jumping and non- contract drills. "Jaelin is day by day. He has a lot of energy," Michigan as- sistant Phil Martelli said. "The other day he went down the floor in a 3-on-0 situation, and he left-hand dunked. That was a real stride. "But if you said to me, 'Will he be banging into somebody?' No. He doesn't bang into some- body yet. The next step is going to be when he gets into some live action." That should be relatively soon, Llewellyn said Oct. 17. He's feel- ing more and more confident on his repaired knee and getting checked by doctors every few weeks. Each report is more positive than the last, he confirmed. "It's going well," Llewellyn said. "They are easing me back, not rushing it. I just want to be healthy, and I'm working toward being healthy for the season. "It's an everyday thing, but I'm feeling good." While he was out, Llewellyn said, he concentrated on being a great teammate and a leader from the bench. He helped mentor Dug McDaniel, who took over at the point as a freshman. Llewellyn was essentially a student coach from the bench and remained a key part of the team. Though he couldn't play, he was a valuable tutor. "I just try to provide insight when I can," Llewellyn said. "I have played a lot of games and have been through what some other guys might not have been through. I tried to provide insight when I could." And he learned a lot just from the eight games he played for U-M, he added. "There's a high level of attention to detail in terms of knowing the other team's plays and knowing your own offense so you can run it effectively and efficiently," he said, noting he learned a lot about Big Ten ball. "It's a physical league. I didn't play any Big Ten teams, but watching from the sidelines, sometimes it's a war down there in the paint. That's why we do all the work with [strength coach] Jon Sanderson in the weight room." Sanderson has also helped get him closer to a return, and he can't wait. He loves the potential of this year's squad and hopes to be a big part of it. Should all continue to progress as planned, he will. "We have a lot of talented, hungry guys who are looking to both prove themselves and improve our team with the work they've put in," Llewellyn said. "I feel like we have a lot of interconnected guys … guys who can play similar positions, but with dif- ferent styles, personalities, leadership. I'm excited for you guys to see it." — Chris Balas Llewellyn started the first eight games at point guard a year ago, averaging 7.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists before going down with a season-ending knee injury against Kentucky in London. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL