Will Tschetter Says ‘Wake-Up Call’ Fueled Michigan’s NCAA Title Run

The Wolverines won it all this season, but it took a wake-up call to get it done.

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Michigan reached the pinnacle of the college basketball world this season as the Wolverines defeated UConn to win the national title. Michigan didn't have too much competition during the NCAA Tournament — UConn was the only opponent that gave the Wolverines much of a fight.

But Michigan needed a wake-up call in order to make a run.

The Wolverines didn't have too many blunders this season. Michigan lost just two games in the regular season, losing to Wisconsin at home and then Duke in Washington, D.C. It appeared like Michigan was going to capture its second-straight Big Ten Tournament win, but Purdue was the better team and took down the Wolverines, 80-72.

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Appearing on Go Blue Hoops with Tim McCormick, presented by Hail Media, Will Tschetter talked about how that loss to Purdue was the wake-up call the team needed.

"Obviously, you would want to have that game back," Tschetter said of playing Purdue. "You would want to win that game to close out the four for four on the banners. But, at the end of the day, I think that really — it was a big wake up call for us that man, like, we're not just gonna be able to walk through March because we have the block M on our chest.

"And because we have a bunch of dudes, like we're gonna need to really lock in and play at a super high level and compete and bring energy. I feel like we did that and answered that call."

And we know the rest of the story. Michigan would go on to beat Howard, Saint Louis, Alabama, Tennessee, Arizona, and UConn to win its second-ever national title.

What Dusty May said to Tschetter to keep him in Ann Arbor

While Tschetter's career ended with a national title, there was likely a time when he thought he could leave Michigan. The Wolverines had their worst season ever in Juwan Howard's last year as the Michigan head coach, going 8-24. Michigan had a mass exodus from the program and Dusty May was brought in to right the ship.

May had some long conversations with the Michigan players and he had a vision to fix the Wolverines. Tschetter revealed what May's message was for him to stay in Ann Arbor.

"I think just his message being that he really wanted to develop a program that was built on unselfishness and playing for one another," Tschetter said of May's message. "And really representing the university to the highest standard. And I feel like those sorts of things and what I had already experienced both in basketball and outside of basketball, I'm at the university, it was just the right decision for me to stay and try to help build this thing back."

Tschetter and May can cherish the Michigan win forever. May is now searching for a new roster that can help the Wolverines win another championship, while Tschetter is in Australia playing in a semi-pro league. Tschetter recently recorded a 25 point, 13 rebound performance in his debut.