March Madness absence fuels Michigan basketball’s offseason motivation
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It didn’t matter where Youssef Khayat was. Whether he was playing in Lebanon or France, he would always tune in to the NCAA Tournament.
He would fill out brackets like any college basketball fan, even if he didn’t know all the teams. He would sacrifice his sleep and stay up late to watch certain games, like Michigan’s 2021 Elite Eight matchup against UCLA.
“I think it’s the greatest sporting event of the year,” Khayat said on the program’s “Defend the Block” podcast this offseason. “Playing in the NCAA Tournament is something I would have hoped to (do) this year. The goal next year for me and for all the guys is not just to make it, but to compete and to win. I think competing in it isn’t enough.
“Being able to change our drought…is something that me and the guys would take incredible pride in. That’s our goal next year.”
It goes without saying Michigan basketball fell well short of its goals in what was a disappointing 2022-23 campaign. The Wolverines ended up in the NIT and finished 18-16, their worst mark since the 2014-15 season, which is also the last time the program failed to make the Big Dance.
The fact it happened with an All-America center and two top-15 picks — a program feat that happened in the NBA Draft for the first time since 1994 — on the roster adds insult to injury and offers a cruel reminder that Michigan underachieved.
But for the returning Wolverines, being on the wrong side of history as the first team in the modern era with two top-15 draft picks to not reach March Madness has been sobering and provided a source of motivation this offseason.
“My goal coming here was, yeah, I want to play in the NCAA Tournament every year. Not making it this year, (my) first year playing, really hurts,” forward Will Tschetter said. “I think program-wide, you see dudes are super frustrated. A lot of guys took a look in the mirror and said, ‘What can I do better? How can I make the team better?’
“We’ve definitely had those conversations, from one-on-one to in team group chat settings, about what we can do to turn the ship around and make it into a super successful season next year.”
The work to make sure that happens is already underway. Center Tarris Reed Jr., who is entering his sophomore season, said he didn’t know what to expect in the summer as a freshman. This time around, he has a better idea and understands the importance.
If Michigan is going to fix what went wrong last season and be the team it needs to be in order to reach the NCAA Tournament this upcoming season, it all starts with June workouts.
“We’re going to grind, we’re going to scratch, we’re going to be the toughest team on that court for next year because of what happened (last season),” Reed said. “Nobody wants to miss March Madness. Us freshmen, like me and Dug (McDaniel), we understand that feeling now. People like T-Will (Terrance Williams II), he said, ‘Man, it was the worst feeling not making March Madness.’
“Now,…
Read More: March Madness absence fuels Michigan basketball’s offseason motivation 2023-07-11 21:04:20