A Tre Donaldson film session and apology could reshape Michigan basketball’s season

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Not even 24 hours had passed since Michigan basketball’s worst loss of the season when point guard Tre Donaldson was pouring over film in a one-on-one session in head coach Dusty May’s office.

There’s no mistaking it or denying it, Donaldson got jumped from the outset of U-M’s 91-64 loss to Purdue last Friday at Mackey Arena, and as a result, so did the Wolverines. The team’s primary ball handler scored 11 points, but committed a career-worst six turnovers, and had a season-low one assist.

Hours after sitting down with May, it was the team’s turn to watch together. Thirteen seconds into the game, the whole group watched Donaldson’s first turnover result in what they call a “pick-six” breakaway for Purdue. Not more than a minute later, his second giveaway resulted in a jump ball.

Michigan guard Tre Donaldson (3) talks to head coach Dusty May during the first half against Iowa at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024.

By the time the game was four minutes old, U-M was down 13-2 and never got closer than eight points again. Donaldson, who’d already lived it once, had seen enough and decided to stand up and share a message.

“The film session after the Purdue game, he came in and was accountable to the entire team: ‘Hey guys, I’ll be better, that’s not the Tre Donaldson that you’ll see going forward,'” assistant coach Drew Williamson detailed Thursday morning at Crisler Center. “Anytime someone comes in and has the humility to be accountable for what wasn’t a great game — by him stepping up, owning it in the locker room in front of his teammates … when you have your point guard, leader talking to your team like that, it gives everybody else confidence.

“Then, to back it up with the performance he had, that also gives us confidence.”

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Donaldson responded Monday with perhaps his best game this season when he scored 21 points, including the game’s final seven. Michigan’s 9-0 run…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tre-donaldson-film-session-apology-173946821.html

Author : Detroit Free Press

Publish date : 2025-01-30 17:39:00

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