Will Tschetter

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Will Tschetter
No. 42 – Michigan Wolverines
PositionForward
LeagueBig Ten Conference
Personal information
Born (2003-01-31) January 31, 2003 (age 21)
Rochester, Minnesota, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Listed weight245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
High schoolStewartville
(Stewartville, Minnesota)
CollegeMichigan (2021–present)

Will Tschetter (born January 31, 2003) is an American college basketball player for the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference. In high school, he played for Stewartville, where he led the state in scoring as a junior. As a senior, he was third in the state in scoring and finished as runner-up in the Minnesota Mr. Basketball and as the state's number-2 ranked recruit behind Chet Holmgren. Tschetter is the son of Minnesota Miss Basketball, three-time All-American and three-time NCAA Division II national champion Kasey Morlock.

At Stewartville High School, Tschetter was also a 2021 Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) state champion in the discus throw and a Power Five conference quarterback/tight end recruit.

Early life[edit]

Tschetter was raised on a farm on the outskirts of the small town of Stewartville, Minnesota, in Southeast Minnesota. The town, which is a suburb of Rochester, 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 at IBM in Rochester. Tschetter spent two years in China when his father was on assignment in Beijing before 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 attended International School of Beijing for 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 began trumpet studies in fourth grade and switched to french horn as a freshman. He was a member of the school marching band, despite interference from his athletic commitments. He performed yearly with the band at the Minnesota State Fair and in band competitions.[2]

High school[edit]

Before his freshman year, he joined the Minnesota Heat AAU boys' basketball program, coached by Johnny 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 between North Dakota State and North Dakota.[5] Tschetter had a 5:30 routine that included making 100 three-point shots every day.[6] Most teams double-teamed or 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 against Columbia 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 the Associated Press,[5] yet by April 2020, he only had mid-major interest.[4] Tschetter had intended to make his college choice in April 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. However, the resulting lockdown led to AAU event 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 coach Phil Martelli had 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 until Rivals.com published a May 14, 2020, story on him.[1] By May 25, Tschetter had offers from NDSU, Appalachian State, Colorado State, James Madison, Loyola Chicago, Northern Iowa, South Dakota, Toledo, William & Mary, Wyoming and Richmond and strong interest from Arkansas, Minnesota and Michigan.[5] Tschetter was also the starting quarterback for Stewartville. As a junior, he threw for 1,429 yards and 15 touchdowns in nine games.[8] Minnesota Golden Gophers football recruited him as a tight end.[7] While Mark Dantonio was the head coach of Michigan State Spartans football, they were also interested in him as a tight end.[1] Other Big Ten Conference football programs recruited him as well.[7] However, some of the tight end transition conversations extended to his eventually performing as an offensive lineman, which did not interest him.[2] While Tschetter was still fielding offers, the stay-at-home ban was lifted and he invited the Cincinnati-bound Class of 2020 Madsen twins (Gabe and Mason) to practice.[9] Tschetter also competed in the discus throw in high school.[10]

Michigan zoom recruiting entailed a series of virtual meetings. Tschetter, who had a 3.9 GPA, was enticed by Michigan's academics.[4] For basketball, Tschetter's first Power Five conference offer came from Arkansas coach Eric 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 the 247Sports composite rankings.[4] During the Covid pandemic, his June schedule was packed with zoom recruiting meetings but no official campus visits were allowed before August 31. So Tschetter and his mom drove 588 miles (946.3 km) from Stewartville to Ann Arbor to visit the University of Michigan campus during the quiet of lockdowns for a July 4 road trip. Tschetter could only interface with head coach Juwan Howard and 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 no social media accounts, his announcement came from the Stewartville High School boys' basketball Twitter account the next day[4] He had tried Snapchat in 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 the discus throw with 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 to Caledonia High School and 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]

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
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: Scout: N/A   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports:3/5 stars    ESPN:4/5 stars   ESPN grade: 81
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 51  247Sports: 44  ESPN: 40
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Michigan 2021 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  • "2021 Michigan Wolverines Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  • "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved March 8, 2024.

College[edit]

Tschetter was part of the top-ranked recruiting class in the national class of 2021 along with Caleb Houstan, Moussa Diabaté, Kobe Bufkin, Frankie Collins and Isaiah Barnes.[18] As a redshirt freshman, he earned a reputation as a spark plug.[19] Following his redshirt freshman season, he did an internship on a bison ranch.[20] After taking a break in Stewartville, he then built a garden with coach Howard's wife, Jenine.[3] After Houstan and Diabaté were taken in the 2022 NBA draft,[21] Bufkin was taken in the 2023 NBA draft,[22] and Collins and Barnes entered the NCAA transfer portal,[23][24] As a true freshman, Tschetter played less than 5 minutes for the 2021–22 Michigan Wolverines in the November 5 exhibition game against Wayne State. Then, the coaching staff talked with him and his family regarding redshirting for the season and he did not appear on the court again all season.[25]

As a redshirt freshman, he averaged 10.7 minutes of playing time.[26] He started 8 of the 27 games that he appeared in that season.[27] In his first career start on February 14, 2022, Tschetter missed two free throws with Michigan down by two with 1:17 remaining; Michigan went on to lose to Wisconsin by five.[28]

Tschetter entered his redshirt sophomore season as the only member of his signing class to remain at Michigan.[29] In his first two games, he made all six of his three-point shots and was 11–13 from the field. He scored a career-high eight points in the opener against UNC Asheville on November 7, 2023.[11] Then, he set a new career high with 20 points against Youngstown State on a night of 8–8 shooting (4–4 on three-point shots) on November 10.[11][30]

The 2023–24 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team endured an 8–24 season in which they finished last during the 2023–24 Big Ten Conference men's basketball season with a 3–17 conference record. On March 15, 2024, Michigan fired head coach Juwan Howard.[31] On March 23, Michigan hired Dusty May as his replacement.[32] On April 5, Tschetter became the first Howard holdover to announce he would return to the team the following year.[33]

Personal life[edit]

Tschetter was born to Kasey Morlock and Garth Tschetter. Morlock is the all-time leading scorer in North Dakota State Bison women's basketball history (2233 points), and his father made 34 receptions and 3 touchdowns as a wide receiver for North Dakota State Bison football.[5] Garth was listed as 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) as a senior in high school.[34] His younger brother Henry (class of 2025, 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)) has committed to play NCAA Division III basketball for Saint John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, and he has a second brother Pete (class of 2027).[35]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Kahn, Andrew (July 9, 2020). "Will Tschetter: The farm strong, social media averse, high-scoring Michigan basketball commit". MLive.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e Scoggins, Chip (February 28, 2021). "Top recruit Will Tschetter will get to basketball once his chores are done". Star Tribune. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Kahn, Andrew (February 20, 2024). "The Michigan basketball player whose life is worthy of a movie". MLive.com. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Hawkins, James (July 10, 2020). "'Personal, genuine' approach helps Michigan basketball reel in three-star Will Tschetter". The Detroit News. ProQuest 2422079766. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Izzo, Dom (May 25, 2020). "Minnesota's top basketball prospect has deep Bison ties". The Forum of Fargo-Moorhead. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Bastock, Ashley (July 16, 2020). "Old school meets new school; UM commit avoids social media to work". The Blade. ProQuest 2430009336. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e Trotter, Isaac (July 6, 2020). "'It just felt right': Inside Will Tschetter's decision to commit to Michigan". Post-Bulletin. ProQuest 2421152625. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  8. ^ Quinn, Brendan (July 8, 2020). "Meet Will Tschetter, Michigan's most interesting recruit in recent memory". The Athletic. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  9. ^ Trotter, Isaac (June 19, 2020). "Isaac Trotter: Five things I learned from Mayo standout Gabe Madsen". Post-Bulletin. ProQuest 2414765778. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  10. ^ Mackie, Theo (July 9, 2020). "Following in his mom's footsteps, Will Tschetter forges his own path". UMhoops.com. Retrieved March 12, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c Kahn, Andrew (November 10, 2023). "Will Tschetter off to hot start for Michigan basketball". MLive.com. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  12. ^ Ruff, Pat (June 5, 2021). "P-E-M thrower Silha doing, thinking big things". Post Bulletin. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  13. ^ "BOYS GIRLS TRACK AND FIELD CLASS A CLASS AA STATE MEET JUNE 17-19, 2021" (PDF). Minnesota State High School League. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  14. ^ Trotter, Isaac (March 31, 2021). "Tschetter a finalist for Mr. Basketball". Post-Bulletin. ProQuest 2506856968. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  15. ^ "Holmgren is Mr. Basketball". Star Tribune. April 14, 2021. p. C.7. ProQuest 2512535383. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  16. ^ "42: WILL TSCHETTER". MGoBlue.com. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
  17. ^ Limbeck, Guy N. (April 6, 2021). "Local Notebook: RCTC football having a (spring) ball". Post Bulletin. p. C.7. ProQuest 2509076577. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  18. ^ Sang, Orion (November 11, 2020). "Meet Juwan Howard's No. 1-ranked Michigan basketball recruiting class for 2021". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  19. ^ Kahn, Andrew (January 24, 2023). "Will Tschetter emerges as Michigan basketball's energizer off the bench". MLive.com. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  20. ^ Kahn, Andrew (June 8, 2023). "Michigan basketball player did internship on a bison ranch in Montana". MLive.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  21. ^ Cohen, Michael (June 23, 2022). "NBA draft: Michigan's Moussa Diabate a surprise pick by LA Clippers in second round". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  22. ^ Hawkins, James (June 22, 2023). "Michigan's Jett Howard drafted 11th by Orlando, Kobe Bufkin 15th to Atlanta". The Detroit News. Retrieved June 22, 2023.
  23. ^ Kahn, Andrew (April 7, 2023). "Michigan's Isaiah Barnes announces transfer destination". mlive. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
  24. ^ Kahn, Andrew (May 4, 2022). "Michigan transfer Frankie Collins commits to Arizona State". MLive.com. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  25. ^ Kahn, Andrew (May 10, 2022). "Michigan's Will Tschetter made good use of redshirt season. What's next?". MLive.com. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  26. ^ Wuchter, Jonathan (October 31, 2023). "Will Tschetter finding his voice ahead of third season". Michigan Daily. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  27. ^ Speliopoulos, Nik (August 19, 2023). "Stewartville Grad, Michigan Forward Will Tschetter hosts youth basketball camp". KTTC. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  28. ^ "Essegian scores 23, Wisconsin holds off Michigan 64-59". ESPN. Associated Press. February 15, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  29. ^ Kahn, Andrew (July 21, 2023). "The last man left from Michigan's '21 class, Will Tschetter is ready to win". MLive.com. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  30. ^ "Tschetter and Nkamhoua combine for 15-of-15 shooting as Michigan beats Youngstown State 92-62". ESPN. Associated Press. November 10, 2023. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  31. ^ Borzello, Jeff (March 15, 2024). "Michigan fires coach Juwan Howard after 8-24 season". ESPN. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  32. ^ Wojnarowski, Adrian (March 23, 2024). "FAU's Dusty May to coach Michigan, agrees to 5-year contract". ESPN. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  33. ^ Garcia, Tony (April 5, 2024). "Will Tschetter to return to Michigan basketball for junior season under Dusty May". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
  34. ^ Winter, Abe (February 3, 1994). "Feeney going to Bison". The Bismarck Tribune. p. 01D. Retrieved March 8, 2024.
  35. ^ Limbeck, Guy N. (January 26, 2024). "Stewartville's Henry Tschetter has stepped out of shadow of brother to excel for Tigers". Post-Bulletin. ProQuest 2918756492. Retrieved March 6, 2024.

External links[edit]

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