JUST IN: Michigan G Nimari Burnett is coming back to Ann Arbor for his final year of college eligibility! Huge news for Dusty May and the Wolverines!
Dusty May and the Michigan Wolverines just received huge news for their 2025-26 team, as veteran guard Nimari Burnett is returning to Ann Arbor for his final year of college eligibility.
Burnett has had quite the lengthy college journey thus far. He began his career at Texas Tech in the 2020-21 season before transferring to Alabama. He suffered a knee injury his first year in Tuscaloosa, forcing him to miss the entire season. As a redshirt sophomore at Alabama, Burnett was able to suit up in 27 games and averaged 5.6 points per game.
He then decided to enter the portal once more and take his talents to Ann Arbor. Burnett had a career year in his first season at Michigan, averaging 9.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 39.9 percent overall and 34.7 percent from three.
After Juwan Howard was fired and May was brought in, Burnett was one of the three players — him, Will Tschetter and Jace Howard — that stuck around. He was rewarded for his loyalty to the program, starting in all 36 of Michigan’s games this season. He picked up where he left off from the season before, as he averaged 9.4 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 47.6 percent from the field and 40.0 percent (team-best) from beyond the arc.
Burnett was a deep threat all season long. He led the Wolverines in made three-pointers (66) and made many of them when they mattered most. His most memorable shot from this past season is the buzzer-beater at Crisler Center to beat Rutgers.
MICHIGAN WINS IT AT THE BUZZER ‼️‼️#B1GMBBall x @umichbball pic.twitter.com/aMKUNQPZnR
— Big Ten Network (@BigTenNetwork) February 28, 2025
Burnett had his ups and downs during his college journey, including at Michigan, but there’s no doubt he has been hugely impactful here. Without him, May’s first team wouldn’t have won the Big Ten Tournament championship and would not have made it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.
All in all, Burnett running it back for one more season is a huge development. His three-point shooting, lock-down defense and veteran leadership are key qualities that will help out an otherwise young — and new, given all the incoming transfers — group of players.