Will Tschetter
| No. 42 – Michigan Wolverines | |
|---|---|
| Position | Forward |
| League | Big Ten Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 31, 2003 Rochester, Minnesota,U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) |
| Listed weight | 230 lb (104 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Stewartville (Stewartville, Minnesota) |
| College | Michigan(2021–present) |
Will Tschetter(born January 31, 2003) is an Americancollege basketballplayer for theMichigan Wolverinesof theBig Ten Conference.While playing for Stewartville High School he led the state of Minnesota in scoring as a junior, and was third in the state in scoring as a senior, finishing as the runner-up forMinnesota Mr. BasketballbehindChet Holmgren.
Early life
[edit]Tschetter was raised on a farm on the outskirts of the small town ofStewartville, Minnesota,inSoutheast Minnesota.The town, which is a suburb ofRochester, Minnesota,has a population of 6,000, and the farm is a distance from central Stewartville.[1]His family's 160-acre (0.65 km2;0.25 sq mi) farm with about 35 head of cattle is about 12 miles (19.3 km) south of Rochester. His grandfather bought the farm as rental property when his mother was in high school and his grandparents live in a separate residence on the farm, while his uncle owns an additional 80-acre (0.32 km2;0.13 sq mi) parcel nearby. His mother and father moved in when they landed engineering jobs atIBMin Rochester. Tschetter spent two years inChinawhen his father was on assignment inBeijingbefore returning to the farm for sixth grade.[2]Upon leaving for China in fourth grade, Tschetter was already 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m). While there, he attendedInternational School of Beijingfor 4th and 5th grade.[3]
Tschetter's mom coached his eighth-grade travel team and was the Stewartville freshmen coach as of the 2020–21 season. Tschetter begantrumpetstudies in fourth grade and switched tofrench hornas a freshman. He was a member of the schoolmarching band,despite interference from his athletic commitments. He performed yearly with the band at theMinnesota State Fairand in band competitions.[2]
High school career
[edit]Before his freshman year, he joined the Minnesota Heat AAU boys' basketball program, coached byJohnny Tauer,who encouraged his outside shot. He was a straight-A student in high school with the exception of an A-minus in Spanish as a sophomore.[2]By July 2019, following his sophomore basketball season, Tschetter's only offer was a Division II school.[4]He took an official visit to attend the January 19, 2020, game betweenNorth Dakota StateandNorth Dakota.[5]Tschetter had a 5:30 routine that included making 100three-point shotsevery day.[6]Most teamsdouble-teamedor triple-teamed him, but some good schools felt they could handle him with single coverage, often resulting in his big games; for instance, he posted 50 points againstColumbia Heights.[1]As a junior, Tschetter led the state in scoring average with 33.4 points per game[7]and earned second team all-state recognition from theAssociated Press,[5]yet by April 2020, he only hadmid-majorinterest.[4]Tschetter had intended to make his college choice in April 2020 before theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States.However, the resulting lockdown led toAAUevent cancellations and in-person recruiting bans. Talent evaluations were suddenly based on film analysis and review. Tschetter had to build interest by tape.[4]Michigan assistant coachPhil Martellihad initiated contact to request game film.[4]
Because he was from a remote area and did not play for an AAU team that participated in the shoe-sponsored circuits, Tschetter remained relatively unknown untilRivals.compublished a May 14, 2020, story on him.[1]By May 25, Tschetter had offers fromNDSU,Appalachian State,Colorado State,James Madison,Loyola Chicago,Northern Iowa,South Dakota,Toledo,William & Mary,WyomingandRichmondand strong interest fromArkansas,MinnesotaandMichigan.[5]Tschetter was also the startingquarterbackfor Stewartville. As a junior, he threw for 1,429 yards and 15 touchdowns in nine games.[8]Minnesota Golden Gophers footballrecruited him as atight end.[7]WhileMark Dantoniowas the head coach ofMichigan State Spartans football,they were also interested in him as a tight end.[1]OtherBig Ten Conferencefootball programs recruited him as well.[7]However, some of the tight end transition conversations extended to his eventually performing as anoffensive lineman,which did not interest him.[2]While Tschetter was still fielding offers, the stay-at-home ban was lifted and he invited theCincinnati-bound Class of 2020 Madsen twins (Gabe and Mason) to practice.[9]Tschetter also competed in thediscus throwin high school.[10]
Michigan zoom recruiting entailed a series of virtual meetings. Tschetter, who had a 3.9GPA,was enticed by Michigan's academics.[4]For basketball, Tschetter's firstPower Five conferenceoffer came from Arkansas coachEric Musselman.On June 1, he got his first Big Ten Conference basketball scholarship offer from Michigan. Hours later, Nebraska and Minnesota followed, and Iowa made an offer on June 23.[7]By late June, his ranking was up to 149 in the247Sportscomposite rankings.[4]During the Covid pandemic, his June schedule was packed withzoomrecruiting meetings but no official campus visits were allowed before August 31. So Tschetter and his mom drove 588 miles (946.3 km) from Stewartville toAnn Arborto visit theUniversity of Michigancampus during the quiet of lockdowns for a July 4 road trip. Tschetter could only interface withhead coachJuwan Howardand assistant coach Martelli via Zoom.[7]He wanted to wrap up his recruiting before school resumed and decided to commit on July 5. However, because he had nosocial mediaaccounts, his announcement came from the Stewartville High School boys' basketballTwitteraccount the next day[4]He had triedSnapchatin high school briefly but found it too distracting.[2]Although Tschetter had no social media accounts, he had on occasion scrolled through his mother's Twitter account and seen the Stewartville basketball account, with its 800 followers; he wanted the experience of an official social media announcement. Stewartville assistant coach Brad Vaught made it happen.[6]His mother was also an assistant coach at Stewartville for coach Adam Girtman.[6]Tschetter finished his high school career with a total of 2,467 points scored.[11]
The 2020 MSHSL spring track & field championships were cancelled, due to the COVID pandemic.[12]At the 2021 MSHSL Class 1A state championships, Tschetter won thediscus throwwith a distance of 175 ft 7 in (53.52 m).[13]
In basketball, Tschetter led Stewartsville to a state runner-up finish in the March 25, 2021, MSHSL Class 2A state championships. They lost toCaledonia High Schooland finished with an 18–4 record. Subsequently, Tschetter was named one of five finalists for Minnesota Mr. Basketball along with Lamar Grayson,Chet Holmgren,Andrew Morgan and Francis Nwaokorie. At the time, he was listed as third in the state in scoring average (30.7) and first in total points (643), to go along with 11.3 rebounds per game. Tschetter had led the state with a scoring average over 33 points per game the prior season.[14]When Holmgren, who also won national player of the year awards, was announced as the winner, placement for the other finalists was not announced.[15]However, his University of Michigan official bio asserts he was runner-up.[16]The Minnesota Basketball Coaches Association named Tschetter to the Class AA MBCA Academic All State Team.[17]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Tschetter PF |
Stewartville, MN | Stewartville | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Jul 6, 2020 | |
Recruiting star ratings:Rivals: 247Sports:ESPN: ESPN grade: 81
| ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings:Rivals:51247Sports:44ESPN:40 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
College career
[edit]Tschetter enrolled at theUniversity of Michiganas a part of the top-ranked national recruiting class in 2021, along withCaleb Houstan,Moussa Diabaté,Kobe Bufkin,Frankie Collinsand Isaiah Barnes.[18]As a true freshman, Tschetter played less than 5 minutes forMichigan,playing only on November 5, in an exhibition game againstWayne State.The coaching staff talked with him and his family and redshirted him for the remainder of the season.[19]
The following season, as a redshirt freshman he earned a reputation as a spark plug.[20]He averaged 10.7 minutes of playing time, starting 8 of 27 games played in 2022-23.[21][22]In his first career start on February 14, 2022, Tschetter missed twofree throwswith Michigan down by two with 1:17 remaining. Michigan went on to lose toWisconsinby five points. He scored four points, five rebounds and had two assists.[23]Following his redshirt freshman season, he did aninternshipon abisonranch.[24]
Tschetter entered his redshirt sophomore season as the only member of his signing class to remain at Michigan.[25]In his first two games, he made all six of his three-point shots and was 11 of 13 from the field, including scoring a career-high eight points in the seasons opener againstUNC Ashevilleon November 7, 2023.[11]He then set a new career high with 20 points againstYoungstown Stateon November 10. He shot 8 of 8 from the field (4 of 4 on three-point shots).[11][26]
The2023-24 Michigan Wolverinesendured an 8–24 season, finishing last in theBig Tenwith a 3–17 conference record. On March 15, 2024, Michigan fired head coachJuwan Howard,replacing him withDusty May,whom they hired on March 23.[27][28]On April 5, Tschetter became the first tenured Wolverine to announce he would return for the 2024-25 season.[29]He completed his undergraduate curriculum in three years, earning abachelor's degreeinearthandenvironmental science.[30]
Personal life
[edit]Tschetter was born the son of Kasey Morlock and Garth Tschetter. Morlock is the all-time leading scorer inNorth Dakota State Bison women's basketballhistory (2233 points), a three-time All-American, three-timeNCAA Division IInational champion and wasMinnesota Miss Basketball.His father made 34receptionsand 3touchdownsas awide receiverforNorth Dakota State Bison football.[5]Garth was listed as 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) as a senior in high school.[31]His younger brother Henry (class of 2025, 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)) has committed to playNCAA Division IIIbasketball forSaint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota,and he has a second brother Pete (class of 2027).[32]
Notes
[edit]- ^abcdKahn, Andrew (July 9, 2020)."Will Tschetter: The farm strong, social media averse, high-scoring Michigan basketball commit".MLive.com.RetrievedMarch 6,2024.
- ^abcdeScoggins, Chip (February 28, 2021)."Top recruit Will Tschetter will get to basketball once his chores are done".Star Tribune.RetrievedMarch 8,2024.
- ^Kahn, Andrew (February 20, 2024)."The Michigan basketball player whose life is worthy of a movie".MLive.com.RetrievedMarch 12,2024.
- ^abcdefgHawkins, James (July 10, 2020)."'Personal, genuine' approach helps Michigan basketball reel in three-star Will Tschetter ".The Detroit News.ProQuest2422079766.RetrievedMarch 6,2024.
- ^abcdIzzo, Dom (May 25, 2020)."Minnesota's top basketball prospect has deep Bison ties".The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead.RetrievedMarch 5,2024.
- ^abcBastock, Ashley (July 16, 2020)."Old school meets new school; UM commit avoids social media to work".The Blade.ProQuest2430009336.RetrievedMarch 6,2024.
- ^abcdeTrotter, Isaac (July 6, 2020)."'It just felt right': Inside Will Tschetter's decision to commit to Michigan ".Post-Bulletin.ProQuest2421152625.RetrievedMarch 6,2024.
- ^Quinn, Brendan (July 8, 2020)."Meet Will Tschetter, Michigan's most interesting recruit in recent memory".The Athletic.RetrievedMarch 12,2024.
- ^Trotter, Isaac (June 19, 2020)."Isaac Trotter: Five things I learned from Mayo standout Gabe Madsen".Post-Bulletin.ProQuest2414765778.RetrievedMarch 8,2024.
- ^Mackie, Theo (July 9, 2020)."Following in his mom's footsteps, Will Tschetter forges his own path".UMhoops.com.RetrievedMarch 12,2024.
- ^abcKahn, Andrew (November 10, 2023)."Will Tschetter off to hot start for Michigan basketball".MLive.com.RetrievedMarch 14,2024.
- ^Ruff, Pat (June 5, 2021)."P-E-M thrower Silha doing, thinking big things".Post Bulletin.RetrievedMarch 14,2024.
- ^"BOYS GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD CLASS A CLASS AA STATE MEET JUNE 17-19, 2021"(PDF).Minnesota State High School League.RetrievedMarch 14,2024.
- ^Trotter, Isaac (March 31, 2021)."Tschetter a finalist for Mr. Basketball".Post-Bulletin.ProQuest2506856968.RetrievedMarch 23,2024.
- ^"Holmgren is Mr. Basketball".Star Tribune.April 14, 2021. p. C.7.ProQuest2512535383.RetrievedMarch 23,2024.
- ^"42: WILL TSCHETTER".MGoBlue.com.RetrievedMarch 22,2024.
- ^Limbeck, Guy N. (April 6, 2021)."Local Notebook: RCTC football having a (spring) ball".Post Bulletin.p. C.7.ProQuest2509076577.RetrievedMarch 23,2024.
- ^Sang, Orion (November 11, 2020)."Meet Juwan Howard's No. 1-ranked Michigan basketball recruiting class for 2021".Detroit Free Press.RetrievedMarch 30,2021.
- ^Kahn, Andrew (May 10, 2022)."Michigan's Will Tschetter made good use of redshirt season. What's next?".MLive.com.RetrievedMarch 14,2024.
- ^Kahn, Andrew (January 24, 2023)."Will Tschetter emerges as Michigan basketball's energizer off the bench".MLive.com.RetrievedMarch 5,2024.
- ^Wuchter, Jonathan (October 31, 2023)."Will Tschetter finding his voice ahead of third season".Michigan Daily.RetrievedMarch 14,2024.
- ^Speliopoulos, Nik (August 19, 2023)."Stewartville Grad, Michigan Forward Will Tschetter hosts youth basketball camp".KTTC.RetrievedMarch 14,2024.
- ^"Essegian scores 23, Wisconsin holds off Michigan 64-59".ESPN.Associated Press.February 15, 2023.RetrievedMarch 14,2024.
- ^Kahn, Andrew (June 8, 2023)."Michigan basketball player did internship on a bison ranch in Montana".MLive.com.RetrievedMarch 6,2024.
- ^Kahn, Andrew (July 21, 2023)."The last man left from Michigan's '21 class, Will Tschetter is ready to win".MLive.com.RetrievedMarch 5,2024.
- ^"Tschetter and Nkamhoua combine for 15-of-15 shooting as Michigan beats Youngstown State 92-62".ESPN.Associated Press.November 10, 2023.RetrievedMarch 14,2024.
- ^Borzello, Jeff (March 15, 2024)."Michigan fires coach Juwan Howard after 8-24 season".ESPN.RetrievedApril 6,2024.
- ^Wojnarowski, Adrian (March 23, 2024)."FAU's Dusty May to coach Michigan, agrees to 5-year contract".ESPN.RetrievedApril 6,2024.
- ^Garcia, Tony (April 5, 2024)."Will Tschetter to return to Michigan basketball for junior season under Dusty May".Detroit Free Press.RetrievedApril 6,2024.
- ^Michigan Men's Basketball (May 3, 2024)."@umichbball status update".Twitter.RetrievedMay 12,2024.
- ^Winter, Abe (February 3, 1994)."Feeney going to Bison".The Bismarck Tribune.p. 01D.RetrievedMarch 8,2024.
- ^Limbeck, Guy N. (January 26, 2024)."Stewartville's Henry Tschetter has stepped out of shadow of brother to excel for Tigers".Post-Bulletin.ProQuest2918756492.RetrievedMarch 6,2024.