A Close Look in at Michael Tertsea - The Man They Call "Big Mike"
At approximately 6'10, Michael Tertsea is well-equipped to assume the role of URI's next great rim-protector. Coming from The John Carroll School, Tertsea looks like a very raw version of Hasheem Thabeet and Mamadou N'Diaye. If you do not know what those two players did for the UCONN Huskies and UC Irvine Anteaters (respectively), take a look at each player's college highlights. In the Rams four-man recruiting class of 2016, I was personally most excited to get to watch Tertsea and his fellow teammate, Michael Layssard Jr. Unfortunately, Layssard played minimally and Tertsea ended up redshirting. By and large, the decision by the Rhode Island coaching staff was well warranted, considering the significant contributions from Cyril Langevine and Jeff Dowtin. In the future, URI will continue to prosper from their class of 2016 players and it now starts with the development of Michael Tertsea, under the direction of Daniel Marshall.
As a fan of the Rhode Island Rams, if you go on YouTube and search "Michael Tertsea", you can find many short clips of #5's play at The John Carroll School. From what I have seen, I see a strong frontcourt presence based on his rebounding skills and his back-to-the-basket scoring capabilities. Given his redshirt year, I expect that he has improved his skills on both ends of the floor. Improving as a frontcourt player gets sped up when you are constantly battling against Kuran Iverson and Hassan Martin in practice.
If you are a Rhode Island basketball supporter and you are sitting back wondering about the potential of a redshirt freshman at the forward/center position, look no further than Creighton's Justin Patton. Ironically, the Rams shut Patton down on the offensive end but it took every last effort from Hassan Martin. Take a comparable offensive game from Tertsea and many teams in the nation will have trouble defending the Nigerian native. On top of everything else, every Rhode Island should appreciate the fact that Michael Tertsea chose the team in Kingston, RI over conference foes, George Washington and La Salle.
In terms of his game, Michael Tertsea is a larger-than-life basketball player who has a raw offensive game, which includes a true back-to-the-basket scoring ability. With no more Hassan Martin wearing the URI colors, this team needs a true post presence. Tertsea will no longer be able to score by simply being taller and bigger than his oppositions in high school. Conversely, the center needs to bring his lessons from his redshirt year and implement them into his advanced offensive game. Scoring in an uncanny way is not an issue but scoring in a more dependable fashion will help Tertsea's game, keep him on the floor longer, and lead to more URI victories. In a conference like the Atlantic 10, not many teams possess the size necessary to defend an individual like this. Given his solid hook shots, the development of his agility and his footwork will make him very difficult to defend against.
On the other end of the court, Tertsea is a defensive juggernaut and potentially the best defensive frontcourt player that Rhode Island has. This man's defensive abilities and capabilities is the exact reason why I was so excited for his commitment to Rhode Island. Improved agility and footwork will also affect how Dan Hurley views him in his rotation but the Rams coach certainly has to be pleased with #5's defensive prowess. After bulking up and getting stronger under the lead of URI's Daniel Marshall, Tertsea is more equipped to defend the paint and the post. Many Rhode Island fans may have shed a tear over the graduation of Hassan Martin and Kuran Iverson because of what they did defensively but Tertsea can wipe those tears away. Couple Michael Tertsea next to Cyril Langevine and blocks will still be a constant occurrence for Hurley's squad. At this juncture, the only (initial) worry I would have as a fan would be how this man defends against opposition that like to overpower their defenders and players that have extremely crafty ways to score from the center position.
"Big Mike" is a huge human being that has shown me that he keeps a good head above his shoulders. Basketball players with a good mentality on and off the court are the kind of players that Dan Hurley needs. I am simply waiting for the moment that all URI basketball fans come to love Tertsea's game and realize that he was one of the biggest steals in the class of 2016.
I do not know about the rest of the Rhode Island faithful but I am thrilled to have this 8th wonder of the world defending the Rams hoop for the next four seasons:
