COACHES CORNER
Sierra Taylor
Christopher (C.J.) Baird is a freshman Michigan Basketball walk-on from Novi, Michigan. He is a 6’5” forward from Detroit Catholic High School. He started out as a manager for the team and took the final walk-on position when a position was vacated. CJ made his NCAA debut against UC Riverside and scored his first collegiate basket against Alabama A&M.
Q: When did you officially join the U-M basketball team and how long were you a manager for?
A: I officially joined the Michigan basketball team on November 3, 2017 and I was a manager for about a month prior to my walk on position.
Q: What was the walk-on process like for you?
A: The walk-on process was very stressful for a few weeks. The team held a tryout which the assistant coaches organized. Each coach watched each player intently and encouraged everyone without seriously coaching us. This challenged me mentally because I had to adapt to each drill by utilizing my skill-set without detailed instruction.
Q: Did you go through any recruiting processes while in high school and if so what was your recruiting experience like?
A: I went through a small recruiting process in high school from three separate Division 2 schools. A few coaches would come to my high school games and reach out to me. They discussed the importance of academics along with their basketball program. They wanted me to understand the integral role I could play while achieving academic success.
Q: Did coaches help you assimilate to the team?
A: The coaches helped me assimilate to the team by pushing me in certain drills and placing me with guys I did not know. This helped me build a bond with players in practice which in turn carried into the locker room. The coaches taught me how to be comfortable on the court and this confidence in myself has helped me connect with players better.
Q: How much focus do your coaches put on academics?
A: Coach Beilein puts major emphasis on our academics. He always asks each player about his exams and emphasizes the importance of studies in each film session. The coaches also try to discuss certain subject matters in a “small talk” manner. One of the assistants, Coach Yaklich, and I talk about Art History quite often.
Q: In your eyes what is John Beilein’s greatest strength as a coach?
A: Coach Beilein’s greatest strength as a coach is his simplification of terminology and explanation. Coach Beilein understands that all of his players do not know basketball as well as he does. In an effort to communicate certain actions or plays, Coach B works with his players in determining the best ways to present information as well.
Q: Which players or coaches have been mentors to you personally and how have they affected your experience with the team?
A: Coach DeAndre Haynes and Coach Luke Yalkich have been wonderful mentors to me as I have learned more about basketball. Coach Haynes has served as a positive example for me in the way he carries himself and the way he uses positivity to help players understand their strengths. Coach Haynes has given me the confidence in my jumpshooting ability by constantly reminding me of the good qualities in my abilities. Coach Yaklich has been a mentor to me as he understands my skill level and my basketball intellect. He helps further simplify certain strategies and plays with his systematic approach to explanation.
Q: What is the team’s main focus going into the NCAA tournament?
A: The team’s main focus going in to the tournament is taking the tournament one game at a time. Coach Beilein has emphasized that every single team in the tournament has quality wins and players. Overlooking a team based on seeding would be problematic and we could lose because of it.
Q: Do any of the coaches/players use any memorable phrases that serve as driving forces for the team?
A: “Wolverine Excellence” has been our motto for this entire year. The first letter of each word spells “We”. The coaches emphasize the role of each player on the team and how each of us can impact our team’s success.
Q: Can you describe an interaction with a coach that has been particularly impactful for you either in a basketball sense or otherwise
A: My daily interactions with Coach Yaklich stand out to me. Coach Yaklich carries himself in a light fashion and talking with him has been easy. I can talk to him about basketball, school, and family. This stands out to me because I have developed a relationship with him as a person while still respecting him as a coach.
Q: Do you feel you are treated differently by coaches as a walk-on?
A: I do not feel like I am treated differently as a walk-on. Coach Beilein and the staff do their best in showing respect to all players for our skills. One of the most surprising things I have experienced this year has been traveling to the NCAA tournament. Many teams do not take any of their walk-ons to the tournament. However, Coach Beilein and the staff elected to take all of the walk-ons and allow all of us to share in the great experience.
Q: How has the team tried to maintain momentum between the B1G Tournament and the NCAA Tournament?
A: The team has maintained momentum through the layoff by implementing more competitive drills in practice. The coaches have elicited an intensity from each of us at practice which helps keep drills and scrimmages sharp and clean.