Stewartville's Will Tschetter eyes his first Final Four
Apr. 2—INDIANAPOLIS — Stewartville graduate Will Tschetter, a fifth-year senior at the University of Michigan, is about to play in his first men's college basketball Final Four. Michigan takes on fellow No. 1 seed Arizona in Indianapolis at 7:50 p.m. Saturday on TBS and TNT.
Tschetter is a reserve forward for the Wolverines.
What has been on your mind this week as you not only contemplate being in the Final Four, but consider that your college playing days are coming to a close?
Just how fortunate I am to be able to have this experience with a program I've been with for so long. We've come full circle and this is just the cherry on top.
What is special about this team? What makes it one of the two favorites to win the national title?
What is so special is how ridiculously unselfish this team is. It's a bunch of great guys who get along great and who are super well coached.
When you consider that just two years ago your team was 8-24 overall and on the brink of a coaching change, does it stun you to consider what you've achieved the last two years, going 27-10 last year and reaching the Sweet 16 and going 35-3 this year with a spot in the Final Four?
Obviously, the difference that two years can make is pretty astounding. But when I first talked to coach (Dusty May, who came to Michigan starting with the 2024-25 season) and the trajectory he thought we could be on, it all made sense. Going 35-3 this year is pretty crazy but with the roster we put together, you could see all the positive changes.
What's it going to take to beat a very talented Arizona team?
It's going to be really evenly matched. They are one of the most imposing teams I've seen (with great height that matches Michigan's). They have a lot of talent and they are going to play hard for 40 minutes. We have to play a super fundamentally sound game, keep them off the glass and not get flustered when things don't go right.
What should Arizona be most concerned about as it gets ready to play you?
We've shown our depth and the versatility we have with our wide array of players and how uniquely everyone plays. We bring unique challenges to teams. But (Arizona) matches up really evenly with us. Literally across the board there is only about an inch that separates us at all positions.
What has the buzz around campus been like the last week?
It's been pretty ridiculous just walking to class. I got stopped more than normal (Tuesday). But it's great to have that buzz about our basketball program.
What will be your role in the Final Four? What do you want to make sure you personally get done in this next game?
I just need to continue to provide all the intangible things that our team needs and just remind everybody that this is just another game.
Has playing in a Final Four been a lifetime desire?
It is every little kid's dream. When you're shooting outside and you are always picturing yourself hitting that winning shot to send your team to the Final Four. Where we come from we don't see people doing this stuff. It's a unique and cool opportunity.
Yaxel Lendeborg is billed as your top player. What stands out to you about the 6-foot-9 forward?
You have to go back to his unselfishness. He is the ultimate unselfish player, always willing to make that extra pass. And he has a bubbly personality about him. Even though he is an All-American and the Big Ten Player of the Year, he's not too cool for the rest of us. And that doesn't happen all the time when you have an All-American.
You've stayed at Michigan for five years, and done it in the age of the oft-used portal. That's regarded as a big deal and a rarity. Were you ever tempted to leave and what's kept you there?
I owe so much to the school. It has given me two degrees, lifelong friends, a great alumni base and great coaches. Just everything. I didn't feel like the grass would be any greener any other place I could go. It just didn't make sense to leave. No amount of money or more shots in games would have done it for me. At the end of the day, you can't put a price on winning.
