The Michigan Wolverines had a very successful first season under head coach Dusty May . But in today’s college basketball world, rather than reminiscing about the season’s glow, May had to quickly get back to work and start building their roster for year two.
After three mediocre seasons under Juwan Howard, Michigan finished this past season with a 27-10 record, the Wolverines ‘ ninth-best record. The Wolverines, who also finished second in the Big Ten with a 14-6 record, reached the Sweet 16 for the eighth time since 2013-14.
What’s Next For Michigan Wolverines After Landing Two Players, And Losing One To Portal
But since being defeated by top-seeded Auburn on Friday, May has already seen his roster evolve for next season. May knew he would lose Rubin Jones, Nimari Burnett , and Vladislav Golden after this season as their eligibility expired. He probably figured he would lose at least a couple to the transfer portal and bring in some.
So far, five Michigan players from this year’s squad have hit the transfer portal, with Tre Donaldson being the latest. The Wolverines also brought in a pair of transfers, Elliott Cadeau and Morez Johnson Jr. Johnson joined the school from Illinois on April 1, one day after Cadeau transferred from North Carolina and the same day that Donaldson departed.
Burnett could return for a sixth season. The 6-4 guard still has remaining eligibility due to COVID and a medical redshirt.
Players Who Have Left Dusty May’s Program
Donaldson is the most significant loss of the four players who have departed. After spending two years at Auburn, he played just one season in Ann Arbor, starting at point guard for the Wolverines.
Donaldson, one of the Big Ten’s best playmakers and three-point shooters, had the best season of his career with 11.3 points, 4.1 assists, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.0 steals. He also drained a career best 1.7 three-pointers while shooting .433/.375/.690.
Justin Pippen , who arguably has the most potential of the four players, struggled in limited action in his lone season with Michigan. One of Scotty Pippen’s sons, Justin, came to Ann Arbor as a consensus top-100 recruit. But the 6-3 point guard averaged just 1.7 points in less than seven minutes a game over 28 appearances as he produced shooting splits of .276/.267/.857.
Like Donaldson, Sam Walters is looking for his third school. Walters, a consensus top 100 recruit in 2023, didn’t show any improvement in his first season with the Wolverines after spending his freshman campaign at Alabama. The 6-10 forward averaged five points and 1.6 boards while shooting .425/.366/.737 in 23 appearances. He dealt with back issues most of the year and only appeared in 23 games overall.
Jace Howard is the longest-tenured Wolverine to leave via the transfer portal. Howard has spent five seasons in Ann Arbor, though the 6-7 guard has only appeared in 70 games, including five this season.
Elliott Cadeau and Morez Johnson Jr.
Big things were expected of Cadeau after the 6-1 point guard was named to the ACC all-freshman team in 2023-24. Cadeau did improve from the previous season, but he struggled with consistency.
Cadeau is a fantastic distributor, decent defender, and improved as a shooter in year two at UNC. He went from .417/.189/.648 in his freshman campaign with the Tar Heels to .445/.337/.670 in year two. However, turnovers remain a huge concern.
Cadeau averaged 9.4 points, 6.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 37 games for the Tar Heels. The soon-to-be junior produced two double-doubles. He also scored in double-figures 18 times and doled out double-digit assists six times.
“Cadeau can be an effective college player — but he needs the right pieces around him, per The Athletic’s Austin Meek and Brendan Marks . “He’s almost entirely an on-ball player, and May must surround him with shooters and interior scorers to maximize his passing ability. Even then, it’s hard to envision Cadeau entirely shaking his turnover issue with the way he plays. May’s job is to make sure Cadeau’s connectivity outweighs that and any defensive issues he presents.”
Johnson had a tremendous freshman campaign with the Illini, averaging 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds (2.3 offensive) in 17.6 minutes over 30 appearances. The 6-9 athletic forward was highly efficient, converting 64.2% of his shots, though he only made 61.8% of his attempts from the charity stripe.
Johnson produced three double-doubles and hit double-digits in rebounds five times last season. He was one of the top rebounders in the Big Ten and was a force defensively, blocking 1.1 shots a game.
What’s Next For Dusty May and the Wolverines?
As it stands now, Michigan has 10 scholarship players on its roster for next year. This includes incoming five-star freshman Trey McKenney and four-star wing Winters Grady . Six-foot-seven New Zealander Oscar Goodman , who enrolled at UM this spring, will redshirt next season, Alejandro Zuniga of 247Sports reported.
Michigan is expected to lose Danny Wolf to the NBA, though it would probably be in the 7-footer’s best interest to return to UM for a final season. Jerred Johnson of Michigan Wolverines on Sports Illustrated believes there is a way for the Wolverines to retain their big man.
“Most mock NBA Drafts have him in the mid to low 20s of the first round,” Johnson said. “That fact, if true, opens up the door for head coach Dusty May and his staff to possibly convince Wolf to stay for another year.
“A lottery pick in the NBA Draft generally makes in the range of $4.5 million to $12.6 million. Once a player falls to where Wolf is currently predicted to go, that number is in the $3.1 to $2.5 million range. Why does that matter? The lower range is one that collectives can match with NIL funding. If the collectives and May can muster up a couple million to persuade Wolf, there’s a chance we could see him back in Ann Arbor next season.”
Who Are The Wolverines Interested In?
Regardless of what Wolf ultimately decides, May still has some work to do. It is also possible that some other players eventually leave the program.
According to Chris Peterson of GBM Wolverine , Michigan is interested in adding more guards and is also pursuing Kansas 6-9 freshman transfer Flory Bidunga .
Michigan lost out on San Diego State big man Magoon Gwath , who decided to return to the Aztecs, and Purdue Fort Wayne guard Jalen Jackson , who committed to Butler yesterday.
Photo Credit: © Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press
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