Ohio State transfer Roddy Gayle Jr. was 'taught to hate' Michigan, but now he's in Ann Arbor ready to 'get this place rocking'

Michigan Wolverines basketball brought in six transfers this offseason, including two from the SEC, two from the American Athletic Conference and one from the Ivy League. And then there’s junior guard Roddy Gayle Jr., who spent the last two seasons at archrival Ohio State.

Gayle entered the NCAA transfer portal following his sophomore campaign in which Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann was fired mid-year. He took a visit to Michigan in late-April and decided to make his pledge, which made waves considering he was going from one side of the rivalry to the other.

“Coach getting fired … my mind was kind of racing those last few months of the basketball season, just because it’s hard to stay in the moment,” Gayle said on the ‘Defend The Block’ podcast with host Brian Boesch. “That was one thing that Coach Holtmann preached to us throughout the season, but then a dramatic change like that hindered everything.

“Not knowing what your next steps would be was pretty hard for me. After the end of the season, I decided I would like to enter the portal, with Ohio State still being one of my options. I just wanted to have all my options on the table to put me and my family in the best position to reach my goals, which were having a degree and hopefully having my name called on draft night.”

Roddy Gayle Jr. on picking Michigan

Gayle admitted that it was odd having Michigan as an option during his recruitment.

“At first, when Michigan was announced as a possible landing spot, it was weird for me,” Gayle said. “Being at Ohio State for two years, I was kinda taught to hate them — not really knowing why. But [head] Coach Dusty [May] and his staff reached out, and it made the most sense. I feel like they put the most effort into recruiting me.

“Their style of play is what I want to play. Their style of play allows me to show the world who I really am, just the free basketball they play, the freelance. And great guys around me. Not only that, but my teammates, we have a great system of people who can play off of each other, which is amazing. I’m glad I’m at Michigan.”

Gayle’s official visit to Michigan included a trip to The Big House — the largest stadium in college football with a 107,601 capacity — for the Wolverines’ spring game.

“Man, it’s cold down there. It’s cold down there!” he shared. “But it was a great experience, seeing a bunch of legends on the field and just looking around and seeing all the fans in Ann Arbor.

“We’re gonna get this place rocking. I feel like Crisler Center is going to be amazing come the season, just because of the support that athletics get. I want my name and my teammates’ names to be household names.”

Now healthy, Gayle expects more efficient shooting numbers

The 6-foot-4, 210-pounder played through a wrist injury last season, contributing to a dip in his shooting numbers. He connected on 42.9 percent of his 49 three-point attempts as a freshman but only 28.2 percent of his 103 tries as a sophomore. He’s healthy now, though, and May has confidence he’ll be able to shoot from deep, on top of getting to the rim and foul line. The Niagara, N.Y., native shot 83.2 percent on 143 free throw attempts and 60.5 percent at the rim last season.

“I feel like last year I had a pretty decent year, said Gayle, who averaged 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game for the Buckeyes. “Obviously, teams are going to scout me to be more of a driver, so with a healthy wrist, I feel like my capability to be a 40-percent [three-point] shooter or higher will start to show, because of how healthy I feel right now and the offense that Coach May has. And the kind of confidence that the coaching staff and my teammates have in me I feel like is unmatched. With everything, all the surrounding things, I feel like will allow me to thrive.”

Gayle also believes he brings quite a bit defensively.

“I pride myself on defense,” the new Michigan guard said. “These past two years, that was kind of my role on the Ohio State men’s basketball team. I know that’s going to be my role going forward.

“I know I’m going to have to be a two-way player in the league if I go, and I’m going to have to be a two-way player here, so I’m going to pride myself on being the best at what I do. We don’t want to win games in the 100s. I know that’s not Coach’s philosophy.

“[Michigan assistant] Coach Mike Boynton, he’s a very great defensive coach, so being able to learn many different things from him will elevate my game and allow me to take some things to the next level.”

Michigan roster came together ‘for a common goal’

Michigan has nine new players on the team (six transfers, three freshmen), and the group has come together during summer workouts.

“At first, it was weird, just because these past two years we had transfers come in but you kinda had the same core of people that you knew,” Gayle said. “I came into Michigan not really knowing anybody. Me and [Auburn transfer point guard] Tre [Donaldson] came on a visit together and we committed together, but that’s probably the only person I felt closest to. Yeah, we had the Michigan guys from last year and the years before that I kinda knew.

“I feel like we all came together for a common goal, which is to win. So that allows people to get together more. We all put all our beliefs aside for a common goal. We know Dusty is going to put us in the best positions, and now we just gotta believe in each other and achieve. Every day, we work hard to push each other to extreme limits.”