WATCH: Justin Joyner, Yaxel Lendeborg, Nimari Burnett, Trey McKenney preview Michigan in Big Ten play

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines basketball assistant coach Justin Joyner, graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg, graduate guard Nimari Burnett and freshman guard Trey McKenney met with the media ahead of Saturday’s Big Ten opener against Rutgers. Watch video of Joyner in the player at the top of the screen and the players in the embeds below.

Graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg

Graduate guard Nimari Burnett

Freshman guard Trey McKenney

Bullet points paraphrasing what Michigan assistant coach Justin Joyner said during his Thursday press conference

– Elliot Cadeau is the head of the snake. He’s settling into the kind of P&R coverages that he’s getting consistently and is getting more familiar playing against two on the ball.

– Trey McKenney plays like a vet. I don’t know if he’s aware of how well he’s playing

– On response to the spotlight, we’re going to find out. Success is hard to handle, harder than failure. But we have the leadership with returners / older players, and a standard that’s been set. It’s now on us to cement that standard.

– Not many faults from the Las Vegas games so the staff has created some things in film sessions. Transition defense is up there as something to work on. Still some bad fouls — adjusting to having the rim protection behind them

– Joyner started working on Gonzaga as soon as the Michigan win over SDSU ended. He had SDSU scout with Drew Williamson. He got 3-4 hours that night, catching up on current personnel, and then the next day went back and looked at older Gonzaga stuff. Had a presentation for May late night after Auburn, including on how he didn’t want to switch with Morez.

– Las Vegas helps prepare for tournament – Last year in Ft. Myers was similar, learning about the team with a quick turnaround. What we’ve learned is that less is more with our team. Don’t want to overload them. Give them the nuts and bolts, prepare them for what’s going to happen a lot in the game and then let them play.

– Team likes each other on and off the court. The portal can expose your locker room, with so many new personalities, and you have to have your locker room intact early in the season to have success.

– On the court, it’s been a process learning each other. Wake Forest game, we fouled guys before Aday could challenge the shot — one example of learning through failure and film.

– Eye test says ‘Kornet Kontests’ are working. Accumulating all the data right now.