The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MICHIGAN BASKETBALL him having length … we still have to give the kids the opportunity to find themselves in the offense. It's one thing to know the offense, but you can't really make plays out of the offense until you know it cold. That just takes time. It takes reps." That's what makes newcomer Duncan Robinson so intriguing, Meyer acknowledged. The transfer from Division III national runner- up Williams College won't be in the spotlight this year, sitting out the NCAA-mandated one season. But the 6-8 guard/forward will be practicing all season with the Wolverines, working out to gain strength, and preparing to bring his skills to the court in earnest next year. "That's kind of in the same mode of a Spike Albrecht and a Caris Le- Vert," Meyer noted, regarding Rob- inson joining the Wolverines. "He came to us at a time when we had a scholarship available, and Coach did a tremendous job of really going through a lot of video … it was a great fit for us. "His skill set, the ability to make other players better on the floor, is significant. We value guys who can stretch the floor, and he definitely does that … he has the ability to make shots deep. He's also got the ability to put the ball on the floor and make plays going to the basket." Robinson also won't require a full year to impact Michigan, Meyer said. That process has already begun. "Immediately," Meyer assured. "As a total player, and the person- ality he brings to the locker room, to the practices, is a very positive energy. He's very competitive by na- ture. When he steps on the court, we're going to get better, no ques- tion." ❏ Sitting Down With Freshman Wing Austin Hatch Freshman Austin Hatch's story of survival and overcoming a traumatic brain injury is well known. Michigan basketball fans got to wildly and enthusiastically show their appreciation for Hatch, when he made a free throw at the end of Michigan's exhibition game against Wayne State Nov. 10. He spoke with The Wolverine afterwards. The Wolverine: You shared a long hug with John Beilein after that free throw. Can you talk about your relationship with him? Hatch: "Coach Beilein really is one of a kind. He's just a man of high charac- ter, high integrity, just like the core values of our basketball team. He leads by example. "He's obviously a great basketball coach. He's had a lot of success here since he took the program over. But I would say he's 10 times the man than he is a basketball coach."