Will Tschetter still remembers sitting down with Juwan Howard in November, a day after Michigan’s 80-62 loss to Arizona, for what Tschetter refers to as a “heart-to-heart” conversation.
It was then, inside Howard’s office, that Tschetter came to fully understand the decision to redshirt, one that postponed his freshman season and eventual college basketball debut.
Howard and Tschetter dissected the ways that a redshirt would benefit Tschetter. He’d have ample time to work with strength and conditioning coach Jon Sanderson; he’d be a prominent member of the scout team, where he would round out his offensive repertoire and defensive skill set against the best players Michigan had to offer.
Now, six months later, the decision is beginning to bear fruit.
“Being able to come into my actual freshman year with a year of learning and development, knowing the culture of the program, I think that’s going to be beneficial in the long run for not only me, but for the program,” Tschetter told the “Defend the Block” podcast. “I feel like I can contribute a lot more now than I would have been able to.”