Michigan basketball sophomore still adjusting but ready for a challenge

Earlier today, during the Wolverines’ media day at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, I had a chance to talk 1-on-1 with Michigan basketball sophomore star Tarris Reed Jr. There, we delved into many aspects of this year’s Wolverines, the expectations surrounding the program, and Reed’s new role as he looks to fill the shoes of Hunter Dickinson.

Michigan basketball sophomore still adjusting but ready for a challenge

This winter, Tarris Reed Jr. is stepping into a massive new role. Since Juwan Howard’s second season in Ann Arbor, Hunter Dickinson — who is now with Kansas — was the team’s top player year in and year out. That said, since Hunter transferred, Reed is going to be “the guy” for Michigan basketball, which is a major jump from what he was asked to do as a true freshman last year.

“It definitely feels new,” Tarris Reed Jr. told me, talking about his role as the Wolverines’ top big man. “But like I said, I’m pretty comfortable out there on the floor — the game has definitely slowed down for me, so I’m able to make my reads and be more patient on the offensive side.”

What about the impact of Juwan Howard being out?

Not only is Reed taking on a huge new role, but he must do so without Juwan Howard there to lead the team for the first few weeks of the coming season.

“I’d say (Michigan basketball is) rallying around Phil Martelli,” Reed said when I asked how the team is responding to Juwan Howard being out. “He’s one of the greatest in this coaching business. So I love coach Martelli — he’s doing a fantastic job on the court. The only thing I do miss from Coach Juwan (Howard) is his presence. Him being out there, him coaching us up, his demeanor, the way he approaches the game, so that’s the only thing I missed, but I can’t wait to see him back when the season starts.”

Free throw shooting has been emphasized for Tarris Reed Jr.

When talking to Phil Martelli this morning, the Wolverines’ interim head coach made sure to point out a major change for Michigan basketball sophomore Tarris Reed Jr. — his foul shooting.

“My mindset (changed),” Reed said when I asked about his improvement from the free-throw line. “Getting more reps in and being more comfortable at the line, not worried about if I’m gonna miss this one. Just go out there, do my free throw routine at each and every time.”

Michigan basketball using national perception as motivation

Earlier this fall, Michigan basketball was ranked 11th (of 14 teams) in the Big Ten heading into the 2023-24 season. I had a chance to get more on how the team is responding and the locker room’s thoughts on this ranking from Reed.

“I mean for us, we’re expecting a great year, way better than last year,” he said. “We have a lot of tools that we need to take advantage of each and every time on the floor. So we’re not — like I said — we saw that 11th from the Big Ten, all of us, we weren’t really worried. We’re not like ‘Aw, they got us eleventh?’ We’re like, ‘Okay, that’s cool.’ We’re still going to keep putting in work each and every day and just prove the haters wrong at the end of the day, so we love it.”

Tarris Reed Jr. appears poised for a breakout year, and after talking to many members of this year’s Michigan basketball team, it’s clear that expectations are pretty high in Ann Arbor right now. At the beginning of next month, Reed and his Wolverines will take the floor for the first time in hopes of turning things around and getting back into contention for Big Ten titles and NCAA Tournament berths.

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