Everything Michigan assistant Kyle Church said on the Defend the Block podcast

On the changes and adjustments with this year’s non-conference schedule compared to last year

Exactly. That’s a good way to put it. I think we were kind of building the plane as we were flying it last spring. And obviously, thankfully, it turned out very well. Thanks to several of those guys we all bring in last spring. And like you said, we were trying to put together a very competitive schedule. And there were a lot more X factors as far as how good we’re going to be, who we wanted to play, this and that. But this year, we felt like we solidified our roster pretty early in the spring. And we thought it was a very, very good roster, very competitive roster. And we thought that we wanted to challenge ourselves and play one of the top non-conference schedules in the country, knowing that in the conference, the Big Ten’s either going to be the first or second-best league in the country. And when you add those two together, I think it’s certainly one of the more difficult schedules.

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On why playing in the Players Era tournament was important

That’s correct. We’ve signed up for a couple years in the Players Era. And it was a great event last year. I think if you guys remember, Oregon won it. I think Houston was out there, Alabama was out there, San Diego State, they beat a very, very competitive field. It was a great opportunity to A, give us big time neutral games. We didn’t know exactly who we were signing up to play. Turns out it’s gonna be San Diego State and Auburn. It’ll be nice to have another shot at those guys after they ended our season. And then the other thing we don’t see is there’s gonna be a third really good game, no matter how it shakes out, we’re gonna play a third very, very competitive opponent. More than likely, we’re gonna get at least two, probably three quad one games out there in a NCAA tournament-like environment around Thanksgiving.

On the conversations with establishing a home-and-home with Villanova

Right. We obviously started the home-and-home with TCU. It was a little bit of an ugly game, but we were able to come out on top, thankfully, and we’ll return that game this year. It should be — they have a really good team. Coach Dixon does a great job, obviously playing a Big 12 team. That’ll be another likely quad one road game for us, which is really important as you start to put the bracket together in March. Villanova, I think they kind of speak for itself. The history they’ve had, especially in the last 10, 12 years is second to none. And I think having a chance to play a high-quality opponent on campus is a big priority for us. That’s something we’re going to try to do every single year. Like I said, I don’t think it gets too much bigger than that name and that program. We’re excited to play here, and we’ll return that game the following year, whether it’s in the Sixers arena or whether it’s their on-campus arena is to be determined. But we feel it’s two great basketball brands that continue to ascend.

On whether they cast a wide net to find home-and-home opponents

Yeah, Brian, it’s a little bit like recruiting and putting together a schedule where you do have to cast a wide net. You talk to several different teams. We haven’t gotten to the Duke game yet, but we talked to several different teams about high-level neutral site games, talked to several teams about starting home and homes. And then you start to match up dates. That’s the next step and that kind of whittles itself down. And hopefully you have an option of a couple different teams. And for a lot of different reasons, Villanova made a lot of sense, especially on that day before exams started, as we’re really ramping up in early December. So we just felt like it was our best option of a couple. And we’re thankful that they want to start here and now it’s cool. We actually didn’t have that contract signed. We had to agree to, but it wasn’t signed until after Kevin Willard got there. So there was a little bit of you’re kind of on pins and needles, making sure that the new head coach wants to follow through with it. And we’re glad he wanted to. I think it should be a great series for both of us.

On the February neutral-site game with Duke

The date I agree with you is most interesting. The late February non-conference game. If you remember, Duke played Illinois last year, I believe that was in Madison Square Garden. Coach May reached out to Coach Underwood and kind of picked his brain on the game. And Duke had their way with them. But Coach Underwood even said that he thought it was an awesome opportunity. He loved the fact in late February, NFL, Super Bowl’s over, college football’s over. Sports fans in general are really turning their attention to college basketball in late February, as March Madness is around the corner. And even from a third perspective, outside looking in, I felt like there was a lot of hype around that Duke-Illinois game. Obviously, both teams had great players, great seasons. And so we feel like we could get some of that same buzz that time of year. We’re going to play in Washington, D.C., where we should have a great following. Obviously, it’s not too far from Durham. So it’ll be a really fun game. I think that’ll really mimic what we’re going to see in the Big Ten tournament and the NCAA tournament.

On whether this year’s schedule came together more smoothly than last year

Yeah, I think it was a little bit more straightforward this year. Unfortunately, there was a couple of details that had to be ironed out with a couple of different games, why the schedule was maybe released a few weeks later than we would have ideally anticipated. But things came together pretty nicely. I think our limited number of bye games really stands out to me. We’re only playing four non-Power Five, Power Six opponents. So I think that’s a testament to what Coach May wants to do and how much he believes in our roster, that we’re really going out and challenging ourselves and making sure that every night we’re playing against a high, high level opponent. And even those buy opponents, you know, McNeese State won a game in the NCAA tournament last year. LaSalle has an incredible history. We know Coach Nichols very well. Middle Tennessee, they’re always one of the best mid-majors in the country. They’re going to be long, they’re going to be athletic. We were conference rivals in Conference USA a couple years ago. And then Oakland, that game, Coach Kampe, obviously, what he’s done the last 40 years and what he’s done for basketball in the state of Michigan can’t be overstated. So it’ll be good to have those guys here and get a chance to play a little zone offense.

On playing an exhibition game at Madison Square Garden against St. John’s

That’s going to be a really fun game, especially playing against St. John’s in the garden. Coach Pitino, I think both teams are going to be preseason top seven, eight in the country. It’ll be a great, great litmus test to see where our team’s at. It’ll be physical. It’ll be fast. They’re going to throw a lot of different things at us. It’ll be fun. It’ll be really fun for our team just to kind of see where we’re at, see what we need to work on, as we’ll be about eight or nine days out or so until the actual season starts. Both teams are going to learn a ton about themselves, which is what the preseason’s all about.

On his takeaways from summer workouts

Yeah, I’ve told almost everybody I’ve talked to. We have a really, really talented team and a significantly talented, deep, athletic, tall, physical team. Before they become a good team, which we’re not there yet, I think we could get there. I think we could become a great team, but we have the talent prerequisite. You need to become a really good team. Really enjoyed working with these guys this summer. They’ve brought it every single day. We’ve had a bunch of moving parts as guys have come and gone with different camps and national team responsibilities and visa issues and all sorts of stuff, but it’s been fun working with them every single day. I think we have a chance to be really, really special. Certainly have a long ways to go, but we’ve given ourselves a chance.

On what has impressed the staff about Elliot Cadeau

Elliot’s passing ability and his speed, I think, are the first two things that really are going to pop for our fans. His ability to get where he wants to go with his speed is pretty tremendous. Then once he gets there, his vision, his ability to spray the ball over the court, to throw lobs, to find shooters is really, really special. Those are his gifts as a basketball player and why he was considered one of the top point guards in the country coming out of high school and one of the top point guards in the portal this go around. I’ve been really impressed with his shot. A lot has been made of his jump shot, but he’s shot the ball, particularly on catch-and-shoot threes, very well this summer. I think his rim decision-making has made a big jump as far as when to go and finish, when to kick it out, what’s the right shot type based on what the defense presents at the rim has made a jump. Then I think defensively, with his speed instincts, he can be a real pest, both guarding the ball and off the ball. We couldn’t be more excited to have him here. We think the fans are going to love watching him play.

On what Morez Johnson Jr. can bring to the program

I like that phrase, shoulder span. I haven’t heard it before, but I think of Morez’s shoulders when you say that. He’s the definition of a beast. That’s just what he is. He’s physical, he’s tough, he’s just blue collar through and through. Just makes every hustle play, every physical play, goes after every rebound. His basketball life depends on it. He’s just a guy you want on your team. Just rugged, just whatever the team needs, he does. Whatever position he’s asked to play, he’s just a consummate team player and just brings a lot of toughness and physicality to the roster. You add on the improved skill level, the improved jump shot. I think he’s going to be one of the best big guys in the league. I think people are going to see a lot of the same stuff they saw in Morez Johnson as a freshman at Illinois, but I also think they’re going to see an expanded game and hopefully a more improved game. I think he’s got a huge year.

On what Aday Mara can bring to the program

Aday is a special player, just a really unique talent. For somebody his size to have his skill level is almost unheard of at seven foot three, and to be able to move like he does and pass like he does. His assist-to-turnover ratio for a big guy is pretty special, both in workouts since he’s been here and what he did last year at UCLA. Like you said, he found something. The big guys sometimes take a little bit longer to develop, especially coming from Europe. There’s a transition with the speed of play, the physicality, especially moving into a league like the Big Ten. He found something in those last 10 to 15 games. We even saw him going back to his days playing U18 in Spain, where he was a high, high-level college prospect, high-level NBA prospect. He really started to reach that potential at the latter half of his last year at UCLA. I think that’s just carried over. I think you’re going to see that guy. You saw UCLA the last 15 games or so all season and hopefully just continue to improve. Obviously, the bigger workload is, like you talked about, filling out his body is going to be important as he takes on a bigger role. His skill level, his ability to finish around the rim, his ability to protect the rim defensively will be a real weapon for us. I know him and Cadeau have developed a really, really nice relationship above the rim there.

On Yaxel Lendeborg’s addition to the program

Yaxel is a really special talent. His size and length and strength and skill level, he just has a combination of all these things you want in a basketball player. He’s one of those. He’s the guy you design on a 2K video game is what Yaxel ends up looking like. Then you put all that together. Having coached him, the passing ability is what really stands out. These four guys are talking about the transfer portal. They can score. They’re physically imposing. They’re really fast, what have you. All four of them, their ability to pass the ball and their willingness to pass the ball is really, really special. I think if we’re going to have the season we’re capable of, that could be the secret sauce for us is having guys, particularly quote unquote star guys that want to share the ball and want to get off the ball and enjoy passing as much as they do scoring and making their teammates look good. I think that’s the coolest thing that surprised me about Yaxel is his unselfishness and how well he can create for others.

On the freshmen who have stood out

I’ve been extremely impressed with this freshman class. It’s hard for me to just call out one name. I mean, Trey McKinney, obviously his maturity level, being a McDonald’s All-American, but that’s to the side. It’s really his approach every day. It’s extremely impressive. Both physical maturity, emotional maturity, mental maturity. He’s as advanced as an 18, 19-year-old as I’ve been around and he’s been really, really fun to coach. He’s his shooting ability, his work ethic. I think he’s in the gym every morning at 6 a.m. He’s working his butt off every day. His stroke is really, really impressive. I think he’s going to be one of these all-time Michigan shooters that we’ve seen over the years. I think the fans are going to love him and what he brings to the table as far as stretch the floor. Especially when you look at the rest of the roster, that’s a potential need, potential weakness. I think he could address it here from day one, certainly going forward in his career. Malik Kordel is a really fun project. He just started playing basketball a couple years ago and he’s coming over from playing in the third division in Germany. It’s just a big change for him on the court, but he’s hit the ground running this summer. He’s got a ton of potential. He reminds us of a young Vlad Golden. It was kind of very similar, not to put that expectation on him necessarily that he’s going to average 20 a game in the Big 10 as a senior, but he’s going to be a darn good player. He’s got a chance to. His physical attributes really jump off the page to see a guy that can run and move and with his size and height is really special. I’m really excited to work with him over the coming years and hopefully develop him to a really special player. Oscar Goodman, tough. He’s really shooting the ball well. He’s made a nice jump coming off his summer with New Zealand. I think he’s going to have a really good career. He’s just blue collar, got a lot of pop around the rim. The late addition, Ricky Liburd, who’s most likely going to redshirt this year. Just a beautiful kid, great family. Just really love working with him every day. Got a ton of potential. Obviously, the fans won’t see it this year if he ends up redshirting his plan, but he’ll bring a lot to our team and a practice role and eventually can develop into a stud player.

On the offseasons of LJ Cason, Roddy Gayle, Nimari Burnett and Will Tschetter

As a staff, we’ve been extremely, extremely pleased with those four guys’ development all across the board. Nimari spent a ton of time working on his body, really strengthening his legs, really working on his game this summer. He had a fantastic summer. He was as good as anybody on our team. Shot the ball at an extremely high level, which we knew he could. The conditioning he’s in, the strength he’s added is noticeable and I think should lead to a monster fifth, sixth, seventh year, whatever. Roddy Gayle, same thing. He’s brought a consistent energy. He’s such an athletic, dynamic player. Obviously, his struggles in the middle of last year are obviously well-documented, but what he did in that NCAA tournament game, the NCAA tournament run, particularly the Texas A&M game, was so special and so cool. He deserved that so much. I think that positive end on the season for him has carried over to the summer. I think he’s got a chance to be one of the best perimeter defensive players in the Big 10. His length and his anticipation and his intelligence, I think, has led to him really standing out on that side of the ball while also continuing to develop his offensive game, where he could play in two, three, even four different positions for us this year. L.J. Cason has made a massive jump, another guy that had some rough spots, as most freshmen do, and really came out on the other end and was huge for us those last 10 games or so, as a sixth, seventh man off the bench, providing a scoring punch. His passing and playmaking, I think, are what’s going to stand out to the fans. We knew he could score the ball, and he’s going to continue to score the ball, but I think he’s really developed into a true point guard and a guy that really has gotten much better with his decisions in the paint. I think you’ll see that in his much better assist-to-turnover ratio, also much more efficient scoring the ball. You see across college basketball, guys make jumps from their freshman to sophomore years, typically a time to make a big jump, and I think he’ll be a guy right there that makes that jump. Obviously, last but not least, Will Tschetter, who’s just the consummate Michigan Man. He’s everything you want in a teammate and a guy you want to coach, that just cares so much, just poured so much into this program, you know, had other options, as all four of those guys did, to maybe do other things and take on bigger roles, and he wanted to see this thing through here in Michigan, and we couldn’t be more excited to have him back. He’s, as he’s been the last couple years, kind of the heart and soul and a leader, who’s also a really, really good basketball player, and so we love our depth. I think that’s one thing that we’ve really improved from year one to year two.

On what’s it’s been like being in Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor’s been awesome. Absolutely awesome. We, my wife and I, we absolutely love it here. We are entering our favorite time of year, the fall, the air is getting a little more crisp, and we’re starting to get rolling here on the preseason, but it’s been great. It’s been everything we could have asked. The people around the university, the people around the community, our neighborhood’s been fabulous, and we’re just really, really fortunate to be here and hopefully here for a long, long time.