With basketball season rapidly approaching, we’re going team-by-team in the Big Ten to assess where everyone stands and how things could shake out this year.
After enduring a disappointing 2023-24 season, Michigan replaced Juwan Howard with former IU manager Dusty May. The former Florida Atlantic coach revamped UM’s roster, with six transfer portal additions replacing five outbound transfers and a few other notable losses. The Wolverines will hope May can carry over his success from FAU to Ann Arbor.
WHO’S GONE:
- Dug McDaniel (16.3 PPG) (transfer — Kansas State)
- Olivier Nkahmoua (14.8 PPG) (exhausted his eligibility)
- Terrance Williams II (12.4 PPG) (transfer — USC)
- Tarris Reed Jr. (9.0 PPG) (transfer — UConn)
- Jaelin Llewellyn (5.2 PPG) (exhausted his eligibility)
- Tray Jackson (5.0 PPG) (exhausted his eligibility)
- Youssef Khayat (1.4 PPG) (transfer — Bowling Green)
- George Washington III (1.2 PPG) (transfer — Richmond)
WHO’S BACK:
- Nimari Burnett, G (9.6 PPG)
- Will Tschetter, F (6.8 PPG)
- Jace Howard, G (2.6 PPG)
WHO’S NEW:
Transfer portal
- Vladislav Goldin, C (15.7 PPG at Florida Atlantic)
- Danny Wolf, F/C (14.1 PPG at Yale)
- Roddy Gayle Jr., G (13.5 PPG at Ohio State)
- Rubin Jones, G (12.1 PPG at North Texas)
- Tre Donaldson, G (6.7 PPG at Auburn)
- Sam Walters, F (5.4 PPG at Alabama)
Freshmen (Rankings from 247Sports Composite)
- Justin Pippen, G (four-star, No. 107)
- Durral “Phat Phat” Brooks, G (three-star, No. 205)
- L.J. Cason, G (three-star, unranked)
RETURNING MINUTES: 26.9 percent (per barttorvik.com)
Why it will work
With so many new pieces, Michigan’s potential depends on how quickly and how well this roster jells this year. But if things go as planned there, UM has added several really key pieces. It starts with the two seven-footers. Goldin could be more Jon Teske than Hunter Dickinson, but he should be a force for the Wolverines inside, he already knows May’s system and coaching style, and he brings Final Four experience on the court. Wolf was really good for Yale last year, and his ability to stretch the floor makes him a big threat.
Gayle is a good add from within the Big Ten, as he took a huge step forward from year one at Ohio State to year two. He could be an All-Big Ten candidate if he continues that progress this season. Jones and Donaldson should also play significant roles in the Michigan backcourt. And though Michigan didn’t have many Howard-era players stay on with May, getting Burnett and Tschetter back is big.
Why it won’t
Playmaking and shot creation could be a concern for the Wolverines. With McDaniel gone, they need Jones to step up in that role. He averaged 3.7 assists per game last season at North Texas, but Torvik projects him leading Michigan at 2.8 for this season. UM hasn’t had its leading assister finish with fewer than three per game since 2008. If Jones — or someone else, like Gayle, Burnett, or Donaldson — doesn’t establish themselves as a reliable strong playmaker, Michigan could have trouble setting things up offensively this season.
Our take
This is a big step up for May from FAU, but he has the players in place to have a solid first year in Ann Arbor. Michigan was picked to finish ninth in the unofficial Big Ten media poll, but there’s a wide range of outcomes for this team. If things come together smoothly and May can get his scorers the looks they need to operate, UM could sneak up on some contenders this season. FAU finished 22nd in the country each of the last two seasons in KenPom offensive rating, so it’s easy to trust May to get that done. Of course, if the new-look roster stumbles and doesn’t recover, there’s always risk things can go south quickly. Either way, this is a team to keep an eye on this year.
BIG TEN OUTLOOK: Sleeper
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