U-M hoops assistant Phil Martelli provides intel on guards

Michigan coach Juwan Howard and assistants Phil Martelli, Saddi Washington, and Howard Eisley are still looking for another guard to add to the roster for 2023-24, but the Wolverines appear to be running out of time. That could leave it up to sophomore Dug McDaniel to play huge minutes again this season and give Alabama transfer Nimari Burnett more of an opportunity to play with the ball in his hands. 

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Michigan associate head coach Martelli pretty much said as much on the recent Defend the Block podcast with play-by-play man Brian Boesch. The Wolverines are going to need ball handlers, and Burnett has been working hard on that part of his game. He’s a likely starter in 2023.

“Nimari is a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful young guy. He’s different than most young players in that he’s built defensively to offensively,” Martelli said. “You can see the physique. His shooting is improving, but needs to improve [more], and I think he’s accepting the trust that he will be given to play with the ball. I’m not saying anything about his earlier time in college, but I’m sure in this program he has the ball more than he has in other settings.”

His eyes are wide open, Martelli said, meaning his heart is open. He wants to be coached and to please, and he’s working hard knowing he has a huge role on this team. McDaniel, though, is still the straw that stirs the drink. He had some great moments a year ago, but he still has another gear to reach, especially defensively. His shot has improved, as has his conditioning. Any Michigan improvement this year likely starts with him.

 “I think Duggy is more of a grown up [now] physically,” Martelli said. “His attention to practice … he’s more of an older guy. I have noticed he is more vocal during these workouts. At the same time, by not coasting, he’s improved all areas of his game. 

“When you come in as a freshman, maybe you come in with the mindset that ‘I’m a backup,’ and then you’re having to catch speed. That wasn’t going to happen. I do notice that he’s become more of a connector. I see a little something with him and Nimari, him and [Seton Hall forward transfer] Tray Jackson — maybe that’s what that position is, to be a connector within the program, not just on the court. The one other area is his shooting. I see an improved shooter.”

Grad Jaelin Llewellyn and sophomore Youssef Khayat, meanwhile, are wildcards. Llewellyn is coming off major knee surgery that takes a long time to recover from, his second significant leg surgery in his career. He’s been working hard, but they can’t and won’t rush him back. Rumblings are he probably wouldn’t be available until later in the season. Khayat, meanwhile, is recovering from a nagging injury that kept him out of international paly this summer. 

“If people see him out and about, give him a slap on the back,” Martelli said of Llewellyn. “I’m not medical to say he’s where he should be or he’s two weeks behind or he’s two weeks ahead, but to see him out there makes you tear up a little bit. Because that was quite a blow. He’s out there. He’s not banging against anybody, but certainly out there.

“Yo-yo has had a couple bumps and bruises, so he’s held out a little bit. What I’ve noticed about him is he’s clearly stronger. He looks like a college player where probably last year when we met him in Paris, he looked like a kid. He looks better in that area. Now we need to have him on the floor consistently.”

Finally, freshman George Washington III could provide something the Wolverines desperately need in the shooting department. There’s an “excitement and joy” every time he interacts with him, Martelli said, and in everything the frosh does. He’ll likely have to play a role in 2023.

“Man, he can really shoot the ball. If there’s one thing that they’ll all tell you around here, I like when the ball goes in the basket” Martelli said. “He’s got a beautiful stroke. His ball skills are a work in progress, but his attention to detail is extraordinary for a young player. He really wants to be coached. He wants you to explain; he wants to get it right. 

“He’s a pleaser. I would pay him the ultimate compliment. I wasn’t here, but I can’t believe that Eli Brooks would have been further along than George was now as a freshman. When I say Eli 2.0 — I don’t even know what that means — but that’s what I hope for him. I hope that his career mimics Eli.”

Michigan opens the season with an exhibition against Northwood Nov. 6.