3 players Michigan Basketball should prioritize in the transfer portal

Michigan Basketball landed its first player in the transfer portal yesterday in North Carolina PG Elliot Cadeau, but the work is far from done. Here are three players in the portal that Dusty May and company should be making a priority:

The transfer portal has been open for about a week, and if this offseason is anything like the last, this will be a busy few weeks for the Michigan Wolverines . In fact, it’s already pretty busy, given the dozens of recruits Michigan has already contacted and the one player — former North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau — that has committed to the Wolverines.

We know Michigan is losing graduating players Vlad Goldin and Rubin Jones, and the Wolverines are also anticipating the loss of Danny Wolf to the NBA Draft. Here is the remaining eligibility for the players that are expected to be in Ann Arbor next season.

1 year: Guards Tre Donaldson, Nimari Burnett and Roddy Gayle Jr.; forward Will Tschetter

2 years: Guard Elliot Cadeau

3 years: Guards L.J. Cason and Durral Brooks

4 years: Guards Trey McKenney and Winters Grady; forward Oscar Goodman

If Michigan retains all those players — never a guarantee considering how college athletics works these days — that leaves three scholarships available.

Michigan will have to recruit the best players in the portal to stay near the top of the Big Ten. Dusty May and his staff are well on their way to securing more players via the portal this offseason, so here are three players the Wolverines should prioritize in the portal.

Center Magoon Gwath, San Diego State University

Years of eligibility left: 3

Magoon Gwath, who easily boasts the coolest name in the portal, averaged 8.5 points and 5.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks last season, leading the Aztecs in those last two categories. He was the Mountain West Freshman of the Year and the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year as well.

It’s easy to see Gwath fitting into Michigan’s game plan. He excels in the pick-and-roll and isn’t afraid to knock down a three, shooting 37.8 percent from deep on 1.7 attempts per game last season. Like Wolf, he can put the ball on the floor and score around the rim.

He’s reportedly met with Michigan over Zoom on Monday , and Brian Dutcher, SDSU’s coach, would provide an honest review to the school where he was an assistant for a decade.

Replacing Area 50-1 is a tall task — pun intended — but players like Gwath give Michigan size and offensive versatility. Getting him on campus for an in-person visit should be a top priority for the Wolverines.

Wing Dailyn Swain, Xavier

Years of eligibility left: 2

Unlike the two players listed above, Swain has not been linked to the Wolverines. The Columbus native reportedly visited Ohio State this past weekend , but pretty much any team in the sport could use his defensive prowess.

Watch how the 6-foot-8 Swain defended future NBA player Tre Johnson in the play-in game a couple weeks ago. Those instincts are pretty hard to teach, and his length and quick feet directly leads to a turnover.

Swain posted his season-high of seven made three-pointers in Xavier’s NCAA Tournament loss to Illinois, so we know he can excel against Big Ten competition. That game may have been an anomaly, though, as he shot 25 percent from three on the season on 0.8 attempts per game. He averaged 11.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

Three-point shooting isn’t really Swain’s game, as he’s more of a slasher like Roddy Gayle Jr. I love how Swain attacks the rims, draws fouls and plays defense. Every team in college basketball can use guards like him. Michigan didn’t have a lock-down defender late in games this past season, but Swain could be that guy.

Forward Malik Reneau, Indiana

Remaining years of eligibility: 1

In 23.2 minutes per game with the Hoosiers last season, Reneau averaged 13.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting just less than 60 percent on two-point shots.

Michigan has a lot of size leaving the program with Goldin and possibly Wolf, so Reneau would help the Wolverines restock their frontcourt. The three-point shot is not really a part of Reneau’s game, but he’s a bruiser inside who isn’t afraid to get physical with the Big Ten competition he’s familiar with.

Reneau listed Michigan in his top five yesterday , but multiple beat writers have said publicly that Michigan is looking in other directions .

Who else do you want to see Michigan pursue in the portal? Let us know in the comments.