The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/465847
INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS and I would go to the Big Ten Tournament and stuff. We went to tons of Illinois games, all we could. It was a father-son bonding thing." The Wolverine: What was it that brought you to Michigan despite those ties? Max Bielfeldt: "Back when I was making the decision, there were a few things. Coach [Bruce] Weber was on the hot seat a bit, and now he's not there anymore. Plus, I got a good en- ergy from here, a good feeling. I could tell something good was about to happen. It was right there. I enjoyed the coaches, the guys on the team and the environment overall." The Wolverine: Did you feel under- recruited at all given how prolific a scorer you were in high school? Bielfeldt: "It always helps to be seven-foot tall, but I am what I am [6-7]. I never felt I should be more re- cruited. From a personal perspective, my viewpoint is just what a lot of ath- letes say — go in every day, progres- sively put in the work and good things are bound to happen." The Wolverine: Have you thought about pursuing a fifth year here? Bielfeldt: "I really don't know. There are so many factors and so much stuff going on. I'm just trying to see what we can get out of this season … there are some things we need to really im- prove on to get where we really want to get, things we have to instill in the freshmen. We've got to incorporate our values in everything we do on and off the court, make sure we treat every day like it's the day we can win a champi- onship." The Wolverine: You've been injured most of your career. What's it like to play healthy, knowing you'll be out there the next day? Bielfeldt: "It's so relieving to be able to do the things I haven't been able to do. I've had those good days the past couple years, then the next two were very bad days. It's tough when you're going through that for so long, being in pain, but to get it figured out — I'm so happy I'm finally healthy." — Chris Balas Bielfeldt scored a career-best 18 points, on 7-of-9 shooting, against Bucknell Nov. 17. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN