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Wolverine TV: Phil Martelli, Moussa Diabate preview Michigan basketball's test at Purdue

clayton-sayfieby: Clayton Sayfie02/04/22CSayf23
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Michigan basketball forward Moussa Diabate was a five-star recruit. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

Michigan Wolverines basketball associate head coach Phil Martelli met with the media Friday afternoon, as did freshman forward Moussa Diabate.

Martelli was asked about Michigan’s extremely high preseason expectations and how they have affected the squad now that they’re on the bubble in early February. The Wolverines were picked to win the Big Ten and pegged t No. 4 in the country heading into the year, but are 11-8 overall and 5-4 in the Big Ten. They’re fighting for their NCAA Tournament lives heading into a Saturday showdown at Purdue that is the first of four games in eight days. The Michigan associate head coach said the Wolverines don’t bring up those expectations around the building much, if at all.

“I think that if you focus on it early, then you have to focus on it late. So speak like, this year,” Martelli said. “The fact that people would say, well, you’re the preseason favorite — that’s based on last year. That’s not based on what is actually happening in the gym. Same with individual players. Preseason player of the year, that’s for — and I don’t mean this in a smart way — but that’s for fans to talk about.

“So if you, as a coach, every year address, two years ago, we got picked sixth preseason, then we’ll have to acknowledge it when this year we were the favorite or a trendy pick to go to the Final Four or whatever that would be. But if you have not done it previously, then you can’t change mid stream, because to me that would be an indication to the players that we’re panicking.

Added the Michigan assistant: “And yes, there’s a lot of season left to play, but I don’t think you can take more burden on. Our individual guys say, man, we, and I, haven’t played to my capability. But what’s going to happen when I do? I think it’s a lot of conversation; I think certainly with all the social media attention on a daily basis, do the players hear it? Yes. Do they ever talk about it? No. And do we as a staff present it to them? Do we have to live for someone else’s expectation? No.”

For more Michigan basketball talk, watch the press conferences below.

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