Saddi Washington 'really loves' identity Michigan basketball team is forming: 'We're ready to go, man'

Michigan Wolverines basketball lost its top three scorers from last season but brought in a trio of transfers in Alabama’s Nimari Burnett, Seton Hall’s Tray Jackson and Tennessee’s Olivier Nkamhoua. The Wolverines return two starters in sophomore point guard Dug McDaniel and senior forward Terrance Williams II, along with a slew of other veteran players who hope to see the floor. However, longtime assistant coach Saddi Washington, entering his eighth season at U-M, says there haven’t been many hard feelings about the added competition.

“I really love the identity that this new group seems to be taking on right now,” Washington said on the ‘Defend The Block’ podcast with host Brian Boesch. “There’s always some uncertainty when you’re trying to blend so many new faces and so many new personalities. One of the things that I know [fifth-year Michigan head] Coach Juwan [Howard] really tries to preach into our guys is having this ego-less environment.

“When you have so much of a shuffling of the deck with current guys, incoming guys, let’s be honest, there’s a space for conflict, jealousy or whatever you want to call it, to occur. But this group really seems to have just bought into the idea of being family, of being Michigan.”

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The Wolverines are coming off a disappointing end to last season. They lost their final three games before missing the NCAA Tournament, instead earning a bid to the NIT — a low for a program that hadn’t missed the Big Dance since 2015 and had reached five Sweet 16s since then. Returning Michigan players have a lot to prove, and so do the incoming transfers. The Maize and Blue were picked to finish 12th in the Big Ten by Blue Ribbon Magazine in 2023-24, exemplifying just how down outsiders are on the outlook for this coming season.

“At some levels, there’s a chip on the shoulders to prove a lot of non-believers, and I love it. I love it,” Washington said. “I’m excited about the pieces that we have and how they will blend together in forming this year’s team.

“We’ll have a different look, and it’ll allow us to do some different things, offensively and defensively, that we’re excited to explore. We’re just going to try to be the best versions of ourselves.”

The excitement is increased because of the disappointment of last season, in part, even though Washington has remained positive throughout.

“I wouldn’t even call it a ‘low,'” Washington said of Michigan missing the NCAA Tournament. “For me, it’s more of a ‘missed opportunity,’ because if you recall, up until the last two weeks of the season, we were like tied for fourth [in the Big Ten]. Obviously, we didn’t seize some opportunities. There were like 14, 15 games where we came up short [by] less than 6 points. If you win half of those games, the whole experience of the season is totally different, and people’s perception is totally different. So, yes, is it disappointing? Absolutely, because our expectation is to win championships, make it to postseason play and compete for a national championship. We didn’t do that last year.

“With that being said, I think I’m just wired in the way that I want to be the best and I’m looking for ways to get better and push myself and push my team. It’s alright for me that people would have perceptions and opinions before the season, because there are no awards being tossed out this time of the year. I love working in silence with our guys, because that’s what’s going to show come January, February, March and hopefully in April. Our togetherness, our attention to detail, our motivation to want to be our best version, that’s what’s going to be our catalyst throughout the season.

“If we need external motivators, then we’re in the wrong place. This is going to be and has to be a self-motivated group. That’s the mindset of leadership through Coach Juwan, and it just trickles down to each and every one of us.

“We’re ready to go. We’re ready to go, man.”

Michigan plans to ‘try some different things’

The consensus is that Michigan will be more athletic and veteran than it’s been the last couple seasons. However, there aren’t many proven scorers on the roster, even though there are plenty of players with positional versatility and potential.

“One of the strengths of Coach Juwan is he’s willing to play to the personnel,” the Michigan assistant explained. “When your personnel changes or when your personnel presents a different kind of picture, it at least gives us the opportunity to do some things to see if they work.

“It has been proven, both offensively and defensively, we’ve been one of the top 20 — in most cases — top 40 most efficient teams in the country on both sides of the ball. So now having another lens to look through to try some different things, it’s exciting.”

A big part of that different look is sophomore forward Tarris Reed Jr., Michigan’s only legitimate option to start at center this season. He showed flashes on both ends of the floor a season ago, 3.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in 12.6 minutes per game, shooting 51.7 percent from inside the arc. He’s also a switchable defender and posted a 7.3-percent block rate, easily leading the Wolverines in that category. Reed’s offseason work has been lauded by many of his teammates, and Washington is in lock step.

“It’s been tremendous, man,” Washington raved. “The kid has committed to staying here in Ann Arbor the whole summer, which was huge. That’s the first indicator of how locked in he is. Typically, your biggest growth in college is going to come in between year one and year two.

“The work that he’s put in with his game and his body, I think we’re going to see an elevated version of Tarris. He’s been stepping up and trying to be more of a leader and trying to be more accountable to himself. We’re just excited about his growth trajectory right now.”

In terms of leadership, Washington mentioned, Michigan redshirt sophomore forward Will Tschetter has made the biggest leap from last season to now.

“Will’s been around, he’s watched some great leaders come and go, and now it’s just appropriate it’s his turn,” Washington said. “We’re excited and looking forward to all of his contributions this season, as well.”

Nimari Burnett a big piece

In the backcourt, Michigan will have to rely upon Burnett to play a big role, something he hasn’t really done as a college player, despite being a top-30 recruit in the 2020 class. Injuries had plagued him in the past, and he’s averaged 5.5 points per game for his career. Burnett’s maturity stands out, Washington said, which helps create a balance in the locker room, and he’ll bring a lot on each end.

“What Nimari brings to us is a two-way player, a guy with physicality, with athleticism, with talent,” Washington stated. “And a lot of that transitional process for him and the other guys who are new to the program is really just getting comfortable with how we do things, terminology, expectation. But, at the end of the day, we still need him to authentically be him as a player. That’s what we’re excited about, what he’s going to bring to the table.

“When you have so many new faces and so many new weapons, it’s like, man, let’s get after it and see what this thing is going to look like.”