It's tough not to root for a guy like Brandon Johns Jr.

I mean, come on, he's an East Lansing native who picked Michigan.

It's a heck of a start.

Plus, he's a really good dude and a really fun interview.

More on that aspect momentarily.

But what I really appreciate about Brandon is his resilient nature in a number of ways.

I've been impressed for years about the talent of this young man.

You see it in practice, at shoot-around and warm-ups,

and we have seen it at times in games, though not as consistently as anyone,

including Brandon would want.

You know what, though?

He has stuck it out here in Ann Arbor.

In the era of the transfer portal,

Johns has stayed after it. He's waited

his turn and he's been an excellent team player and locker room presence. With John's skill set and

some of his great moments that he's put together, he absolutely could have looked elsewhere and

moved on, especially after his playing time dwindled at times last season.

Then we all know what happened.

Injuries thrust Brandon into a big-time role come postseason play, and he delivered.

And so hear from him in a bit.

John's gleaned an important lesson from several veterans as a young player.

Stay patient.

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