The role of a “glue guy” used to be a coveted role in college basketball.
When you think of college basketball program legends, they aren’t always the players who score the most points or play the most minutes. They are the ones that provide the heartbeat to the team, bring a different energy to the court. They are true leaders to everyone around them.
That type of player is going away. Within the current college sports landscape, a student-athlete staying at one school for three or four years is considered
rare. As the transfer portal and NIL make it easier than ever to depart, athletes are less likely to devote their entire college career to just one place.
But for the Michigan Wolverines, head coach Dusty May had the privilege of coaching two players that match the description of a “glue guy,” and they will play their final game at Crisler Center on Sunday. Seniors Nimari Burnett and Will Tschetter are the only ones left from the 8-24 team from two years ago, and now they are in a prime position to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Most of the team entered the portal when former coach Juwan Howard was relieved of his duties after the 2023-24 season, hoping to resurrect their careers after a disastrous situation. But with no assurances of playing time, Burnett and Tschetter took a chance on a young, up-and-coming coach from Florida Atlantic. Now, they are living on top of the college basketball world.
“Obviously, there’s opportunities to go elsewhere,” Tschetter said in an exclusive interview with Maize n Brew. “I just felt like my situation at the end of the day couldn’t get any better than it was here. Yeah, I could have gone and shot the ball more times a game or had the ball in my hands, but I don’t think quality of life-wise and happiness-wise, I would have found something like I did here.
“From the connections that I (made) off the court, friends that I’ve made, coaching staff-wise, it just didn’t make sense to leave, and I feel like the university had given me a lot of great things up until this point. So I just kind of like returning the favor, and staying true and loyal to Michigan and the Block M was something that I definitely thought a lot about and made the most sense.”
“You could attribute (me staying) to Dusty May,” Burnett told Maize n Brew. “I believe in his plan. I believe in who he is as a coach, as a person, and it’s been the best time I’ve had in my collegiate career thus far. It’s a great way to go out, too, and him being all about winning, that just compliments who I am as a person and what I like to bring to the table. And I think it’s just a togetherness and a marriage that fits both of us.”
Tschetter has been at Michigan since 2021-22, as he redshirted his first season when the Wolverines made the Sweet Sixteen as an 11-seed. He played a valuable role the next two seasons, shooting from beyond the arc at a 51 percent clip. Since then, he has been a reliable power forward who can stretch the floor and provide versatility while also being a scrappy defender.
Meanwhile, Burnett came to Michigan in 2023-24 after playing three seasons between Texas Tech and Alabama, battling injuries at his previous schools. He was looking for a fresh start and certainly increased his production during his first season in Ann Arbor despite things not going the team’s way. In his three years here, Burnett has developed his game to be a reliable catch-and-shoot three-point shooter, a quality defender and a shot creator.
However, Burnett and Tschetter have never been in the top-three in minutes played or points scored in their careers at Michigan. In fact, their minutes and production have only decreased over the years. But while so many programs are chasing individual stars, May has built a team where every player has a key role. And while Burnett and Tschetter may only get a couple shots each game, what the stat sheet doesn’t show is the impact they have made on those around them.
“I honestly don’t think I have one bad thing to say about (Nimari Burnett),” Tschetter said. “He’s probably the best teammate that I’ve ever been around. He never has anything negative to say. He’s always there for you if you need anything. He’s got your back. I always joke about it with our team, he might be like the nicest guy to ever walk into a basketball locker room. So (I am) just so fortunate to be able to cross paths with him for the last three years.
“We went through a lot of lows together, and the last couple of years, we’ve been through a lot of highs together. And he’s just one of those guys that you really appreciate having on your team every day and walking into the locker room and he’ll always put a smile on your face.”
Burnett responded to the same question.
“Honestly, the two things I feel like fans should know across the country about (Will Tschetter) are he’s the most loyal person that I’ve ever been around, and he’s an amazing vocal leader,” Burnett said. “He leads by example. He epitomizes what it is like to be a Michigan Wolverine and a Michigan Man, and I’ve been blessed to be a part of his journey, to be his teammate for three years. I remember the first time I met him, I’m like, ‘This guy has so much energy,’ and that’s just been him the whole way through. So he’s uniquely himself and he never changes that about him, and that’s what I love about him.”
Leadership comes in many forms. Some are quiet and lead by example, while some are outspoken leaders, giving the team a pep talk in between every whistle. Others are adaptable, understanding what every individual on their team needs to succeed, and shapeshifting their leadership style to maximize their teammates’ performance.
Tschetter and Burnett fall into that third category. On any given day, you can see a Minnesota farmer screaming his head off at the referees, wrapping his arms around a young freshman point guard, and hitting a three in the corner within a minute of checking into the game.
You can also see a sixth-year senior go for 31 points one night, step up on defense when his shots aren’t falling or make a half-court buzzer beater when all hope was lost.
Success for Burnett and Tschetter didn’t come in one form. It ebbed and flowed, morphed and adapted, all to give their team the best chance of success when they stepped onto the court.
“I think the biggest thing that I give, honestly, is encouragement,” Tschetter said. “Me as a player, like young Will, I loved it when people lifted me up, gave me reassurance and the tools that I needed in order to be successful. And I feel like at the end of the day, the coaches are there to coach, and I feel like teammates need to be there to pick each other up, help each other navigate through tough times, be there as, not even as teammates, just as like boys off the floor. So I feel like that’s the thing that I like to give to a lot of our younger guys. Just like confidence in the tools to be successful.”
“Like they say, those who stay become champions, and I just think that the culture has shifted and we’ve bought into winning,” Burnett said. “Every single guy that Dusty has recruited, from freshman to senior and so on, has been bought into winning and does whatever it takes to win. (May) says it every single day. When we play, one day it might be your day, one day it may not be your day, but you pick each other up and you build each other up, have confidence in one another and play at a high level. Even if it’s not particularly your day, it doesn’t mean you don’t invest into winning. So it’s been a beautiful journey being here in Michigan, and I’m super happy to be a part of a huge turnaround from the 8-24 season to where we are now.”
Both Burnett and Tschetter hope to continue playing basketball until they can’t anymore. While neither are projected to be taken in the 2026 NBA Draft, many former Wolverines have gone undrafted and have still thrived. But they will both have a University of Michigan degree by the time their careers are over, giving them a platform to pursue something outside of basketball.
Tschetter received his undergraduate degree from Michigan in Earth and Environmental Science two years ago, and is close to finishing a Masters in Ecological Science and Management.
“I am still gonna play basketball for as long as I can and then definitely gonna start my own ranch or farm. And then hopefully look to help other farmers be profitable, and as environmentally conscious and regeneratively focused as possible,” Tschetter said.
“…We have a farm in Minnesota already, grew up on that, and it’s definitely tough with the harsh winters, but it’s definitely, definitely doable.”
As for Burnett, after getting a business degree from the University of Alabama, the graduate student has been taking classes in Michigan’s School of Social Work as a non-degree student, while also obtaining his real estate license.
“When Father Time takes his course and eventually beats me, I would love to get into real estate, and that’s something I’m involved in now, just investing in commercial properties and residential properties and expanding that,” Burnett said. “And also, I have a few ideas as far as what I wanna do after my career in creating different ideas and putting them to life. So I would say that’s the main focus area right now with a few other businesses and ideas that I have in the future.”
No matter what their futures hold, Burnett and Tschetter’s Michigan basketball legacies will forever be remembered, cementing themselves as the ultimate “glue guys” of the biggest turnaround in program history.
