New-look Wolverines embracing underdog role: 'We're here to make a mark'
The moment Nimari Burnett could sense the direction the question was going, he started grinning from ear to ear. Donning a gray suit with a light blue shirt and a white collar inside the Target Center at Big Ten men's basketball media day last week, the 6-foot-4 Alabama transfer was ignited with energy when asked if he and the Michigan Wolverines were OK with being picked 11th in the Big Ten preseason poll.
"I'm going to say this loud and clear … I love it," Burnett said as he spoke with the press. "We not only get to exceed the expectations, but also write that for ourselves."
If the 2023-24 Michigan basketball team had a specific genre heading into the campaign, it would undoubtedly be a mystery.
For starters, fifth-year head coach Juwan Howard has not been with the team for the last month after the 50-year-old had an aortic aneurysm resected and an aortic valve repaired. While Wolverines assistant coach Saddi Washington said his boss is doing fantastic, there is no timetable for his return. Washington and the staff are following the doctor's orders with their boss.
"We were given pretty clear orders to allow him space to get healthy," Washington said. "You know my boss, right? He is a very motivated individual to get back. I'm sure he's talking to some of the players and what not. We just do what we do. We've got a very veteran staff and I think the fact that there hasn't been turnover among the staff, that our message is consistent, and that consistency is helping us with all of our players."
In addition to Howard's absence, the Wolverines said goodbye to a pair of top-15 NBA Draft picks in Jett Howard and Kobe Bufkin, as well as an All-American in Kansas' Hunter Dickinson. Add in the fact that Michigan missed out on North Carolina transfer Caleb Love due to academic requirements not being met, and it was a roller coaster ride of an offseason.
And yet, at least at media day, Michigan's entire vibe came off as "all business" and "positive energy."
According to FOX Sports research, the Wolverines have never finished worse than 10th in the Big Ten standings. This program had not been picked worse than sixth in a conference preseason poll in the last decade, until last Tuesday's media projections came out.
But after being selected third in the preseason poll a year ago and finishing 18-16 with a second round exit in the NIT, the roster departures began to pile up in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines will welcome in a recruiting class that ranks No. 70 nationally, according to the 247 Sports composite rankings. This comes after reeling in three straight classes ranked in the top 15.
That being said, you would have never known it based on being around the Wolverines in Minneapolis. There's a new mindset with this team, one that Juwan's son, Jace Howard, described at length.
"I've been on a Big Ten championship team and a team that missed the NCAA Tournament," Jace Howard said. "Being able to see both sides, and now having guys come in who were leaders at their own programs, and now they're starting to take shape to be leaders here, it's been great. It's making my job easier.
"Especially with my dad being gone, everybody has stepped up, and we're projecting our voices because we need it. Our main voice is gone right now. Coach Phil (Martelli) has been great with that, and you can tell why he's a Hall of Famer. Everybody is demanding more out of everybody else."
Yes, it is a luxury for Michigan that 69-year-old Phil Martelli, who led Saint Joe's to seven NCAA Tournament appearances in his 24 years at the helm and was the Naismith Coach of the Year in 2004, has been in the acting head coach role over the last month. It's not the first time that the four-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year has filled in for Howard, who was suspended five games and fined $40,000 by the Big Ten in 2022 after a postgame melee that resulted in him slapping Wisconsin assistant coach Joe Krabbenhoft.
From the standpoint of continuity, the day-to-day operation in Ann Arbor is running relatively smoothly this preseason. But it's the experienced players – Burnett (Alabama) and Olivier Nkamhoua (Tennessee) – who are bringing a different flair to the Wolverines because both transfer additions are fearless of what lies ahead.
"Everything does happen for a reason and I believe that," Nkamhoua said. "Everybody has rough years and ups and downs. I'm not here to speak on what the team did last year. But, Michigan is Michigan. Everybody knows who we are and where we go to school. The block M stands for something, and it's been about something for a long time. We're here to continue that legacy and put our own spice on it."
After spending the past four years in Knoxville, Nkamhoua is expected to bring a dynamic skill set and leadership presence to the Wolverines this season. The 6-8 physical forward tested the NBA Draft waters this past offseason before withdrawing and announcing he would transfer to Ann Arbor on May 31, just hours before the portal closed for new entries.
Last season, Nkamhoua scored 27 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the floor in an upset win over Duke in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, Burnett was a member of the No. 1-seeded Alabama squad in the Big Dance last season, before the Crimson Tide were knocked off by eventual national runner-up San Diego State.
Both Nkamhoua nd Burnett are expected to be impact players for Michigan this season, but for the Wolverines to exceed original expectations, a leap out of sophomore guard Dug McDaniel is crucial. After getting inserted into the starting lineup for an injured – and now fresh – Jaelin Llewellyn, McDaniel handled it as well as a freshman could in those circumstances, averaging 8.6 points, 3.6 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting 38% from the floor.
Washington glowed about his second-year point guard.
"Dug had a tremendous summer, Washington said. "He and Tarris Reed stayed for both summer sessions, so they got better. They got better on the court, and you can see it in the way Dug and the second-year guys are just more comfortable in the system. They know what's coming next. This isn't a brand new experience for them. It's been awesome to see Dug's growth and to see him stepping up using his voice a little bit more. He's been key to helping George Washington develop as a freshman as well."
While there will be several new faces on this Michigan team, this isn't a particularly young squad. Last year, the Wolverines had eight underclassmen, which was something that Washington said he felt kept the team from hitting its stride. This year, seven Wolverines will have three-or-more years of college basketball under their belt. Jace Howard said that maturity, along with the team's commitment to the defensive side of the ball, will determine the group's success.
"Defense is going to be our strong suit and our identity," Howard said. "You can't win games without playing defense. Last year showed it. That was the most skilled team I've been on offensively, but we struggled defensively. That's why we didn't make the tournament. These guys that we brought in, they're great defenders, and I think we've all embraced that as our identity."
Even without their head coach present and several questions across the board about whether the pieces will come together to form a Big Ten contender, there is a message that rang true from the Maize and Blue last week in Minneapolis.
"We know we're going to be that team where everybody has a chip on that shoulder, and we're embracing that," Burnett said. "You can feel that energy in practice and in our locker room, and it's a positive. We're here to make a mark, and we're here to stay.
"We know the other team has to play us for 40 minutes, and we know it's going to be a fight. We're embracing that."
John Fanta is a national college basketball broadcaster and writer for FOX Sports. He covers the sport in a variety of capacities, from calling games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Network to providing commentary on The Field of 68 Media Network. Follow him on Twitter @John_Fanta.
