Over the last month or so, you've gotten to know some of the newest scholarship

Wolverines for Michigan men's basketball, and we have another new member coming up later on

on this episode, Walk-on Harrison. Hockberg will join us. But this week, we also catch up

with the young man who was part of this series last year. At that point, he wasn't necessarily

projected to be a high volume and high minute player as a true

freshman, but he was someone that people in the program were pointing to as early as this time

on the calendar last year as a fun player to watch, a potential X factor, someone who had a chance

to really rise and be a big part of that team last year.

That was Doug McDaniel, and Doug grew up in front of our eyes last season.

Once Jalen-Lewellen Suffered that season ending injury in early December,

it was McDaniel, really the only true point guard remaining on the roster

who had to step up into that starting one spot.

It is never easy to be a freshman in the Big Ten at any position, but especially at the point.

Yet, Doug held his own and then some on a team with a center who commanded so much attention.

And a pair of would-be top 15 NBA draft picks, McDaniel was the facilitator,

and at times the catalyst when Michigan was playing at its best. Now, it did not work out the way that Michigan wanted to have it in the

wins column, but it is impossible to come out of last year and think that Doug McDaniel is not

a winning player. His growth mindset a year ago, his ability to learn from mistakes in real

time, his willingness to embrace the challenges, the ups and downs of being a starting point

guard as a freshman of the Big Ten, all of that combines to make him, in my opinion, the most

high-profile player in this program heading into this, his sophomore

season.

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