The last several seasons have been a roller coaster for the Michigan basketball program, but several events could have changed the course of history. Here’s a look back at some of the bigger “What if” scenarios in recent history:
Michigan’s men’s basketball program returned to prominence in 2024-25 in the first season under Dusty May. The Wolverines won the Big Ten Tournament and made it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen as a part of a 19-win improvement from year before.
The quick rise back to the top of the conference continues the roller coaster ride the program has been on over the last decade or so. After being great for so many years and being a staple in the NCAA Tournament under John Beilein, the Wolverines began a slow slide under Juwan Howard before rebounding under May.
While we’ll never know for sure, there were plenty of big events that happened (or could have happened) that might have changed the course of the program. Today, we’ll look back at Michigan basketball’s recent history and evaluate some of these “What if” scenarios.
What if John Beilein never left?
Perhaps there’s not an event with a bigger ripple effect than this, so we’ll get it out of the way. On May 13, 2019, Beilein’s departure for the Cleveland Cavaliers sent shockwaves through the basketball world. At the time, Michigan was just two months removed from a trip to the Sweet Sixteen and a year removed from being tournament runner-ups.
Beilein’s teams were consistently disciplined, turning the ball over at a minuscule rate while playing elite defense. Michigan did lose Jordan Poole and Ignas Brazdeikis to the NBA in 2019, so it’s fair to wonder how the following year’s team would have performed, but there’s little doubt the floor would have stayed high under Beilein’s command.
What if Josh Christopher and Isaiah Todd came to Michigan?
Howard’s recruiting class in 2020 was almost the stuff of legend. While Michigan landed Hunter Dickinson in this class, it missed out on a pair of top-20 overall players in Josh Christopher and Isaiah Todd. Christopher, a five-star guard, was expected to end up at Michigan, but ultimately committed to Arizona State . Todd, a five-star big man, did initially commit to Michigan, but ended up going to the G-League Ignite.
Of course, Michigan fared quite well in 2020-21, going 23-5 and making it to the Elite Eight, so it’s fair to say the Wolverines didn’t necessarily need the talented freshmen to be successful. But could the Wolverines have gone even further and competed for a National Championship with even one of Christopher or Todd?
What if Isaiah Livers never got hurt in 2021?
Stemming from the discussion of Christopher and Todd, Isaiah Livers was a key cog in the machine for Michigan during the 2020-21 season. Livers was one of the best players on the team that year, averaging 13.1 points per game and knocking down three-pointers at a 43 percent rate.
However, Livers was sidelined with a foot injury and missed the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines were eliminated by a cinderella UCLA team in the Elite Eight, in what was a low-scoring 51-49 affair. Michigan sure could have used an offensive spark to get a few more points, something Livers could have contributed.
It’s safe to say Michigan would have had a better chance to win that game if Livers were healthy, but it’s unclear if it would have advanced any further.
What if Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate panned out?
Michigan lost Isaiah Livers, Franz Wagner, Mike Smith and Chaundee Brown after the Elite Eight run. However, there was still plenty of talent on the roster, plus the additions of two five-star freshmen in Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate. As such, the Wolverines were still expected to be major players in the Big Ten race in 2021-22.
Well, things didn’t exactly go as planned, as the Wolverines went 19-15 and barely made the NCAA Tournament. They made it to the second weekend before losing to Villanova , but it was still a bummer of a season based on expectations.
While several players underperformed on that team, Houstan and Diabate were two that stood out. While Diabate played some stellar defense, his offensive game was very limited. In Houstan’s case, he came into Michigan lauded as a knock-down three-point shooter and managed to only hit 35 percent of his attempts.
Both players were one-and-done at Michigan and went to the NBA after the season. Perhaps the Wolverines would have been better if Diabate and Houstan had hit their ceilings, but they weren’t the only ones to blame for Michigan’s struggles in the 2021-22 season.
What if Caleb Love and Terrence Shannon (successfully) transferred to Michigan?
Name a great historical battle. It seems there are few like the Michigan basketball program vs the admissions department. In recent years, a handful of players have been intent on coming to Michigan through the transfer portal only to have their plans changed thanks to admissions or clerical issues.
In Caleb Love’s case, he didn’t have enough transferrable credits to clear Michigan’s admissions requirements and was unable to join the Wolverines even after committing before the 2023-24 season. Love would end up going to Arizona for two seasons instead.
Terrence Shannon’s predicament was a bit different. Shannon committed to play at Illinois ahead of the 2022-23 season, but this was a bit of a surprise given that Michigan had been favored to land him during his recruitment. Following Shannon’s commitment to Illinois, it was revealed Shannon wasn’t permitted to take summer classes by Texas Tech’s coaching staff, which would have allowed him to graduate and come to Michigan.
Of course, Love and Shannon both went on to have great stints at Arizona and Illinois, respectively, while Michigan struggled mightily without any star power from 2022-24.