2024-25 Big Ten offseason at a glance: Michigan Wolverines

  • 06/05/2024 6:06 am in

Welcome to “Big Ten offseason at a glance,” a team-by-team look at the conference at the start of the summer. We’ll examine roster movement for each Big Ten roster and give an early outlook for each Big Ten program for the 2024-25 season.

Previously: Penn State, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Oregon, Washington, Maryland, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Rutgers, Northwestern

Today: Michigan (8-24 overall in 2023-24, 3-17 in Big Ten play)

Michigan was a disaster last season, leading to Juwan Howard’s dismissal after five seasons in Ann Arbor. Howard is now back in the NBA as an assistant coach with Brooklyn. The Wolverines outmaneuvered Louisville to land IU alum and FAU coach Dusty May, who has hit the ground running as Michigan’s head coach.

Michigan roster movement

Players returning with eligibility remaining: Nimari Burnett, Will Tschetter, Jace Howard

Players departing due to exhausted eligibility: Olivier Nkamhoua, Tray Jackson, Jaelin Llewellyn

Players who departed via the transfer portal: Terrance Williams II (to USC), Dug McDaniel (to Kansas State), Tarris Reed Jr. (to UConn), Youssef Khayat (to Bowling Green), George Washington III (to Richmond)

Players arriving via the transfer portal: Tre Donaldson (from Auburn), Roddy Gayle Jr. (from Ohio State), Danny Wolf (from Yale), Rubin Jones (from North Texas), Sam Walters (from Alabama), Vlad Goldin (from Florida Atlantic)

Players arriving via high school: Justin Pippen, Durral Brooks, Lorenzo Cason

Michigan is returning just three players from last season; not one will be a starter this season. The Wolverines lost five players to the transfer portal and added six players from the portal. It could take some time to get all the pieces to fit together, but May has assembled enough talent to be an NCAA tournament team in year one.

What to like about Michigan

The Wolverines added plenty of impact players from the portal, as all six incoming transfers could compete for starting positions.

Michigan will be well-rounded in the backcourt with Donaldson, a former Auburn point guard, and Gayle Jr., a former Ohio State off-guard. Unless Michigan adds another player from the portal — it has one spot open — Jones could be the starting three for the Wolverines.

Michigan added two very good bigs, Goldin and Wolf, along with Walters, who has Final Four experience at Alabama.

What to question with Michigan

Michigan is starting over with a new coach and many new pieces on the roster. There’s no roster continuity here and May has only coached one player on the team in Goldin, who followed him from Florida Atlantic.

Will Wolf and Goldin start together in the frontcourt or will one of them start with Walters at the four? Who is the go-to scorer in the backcourt and on the wing? Ideally, Michigan would like to add another impact portal piece and have Jones serve as a super sub rather than start him.

Michigan’s outlook for the 2024-25 season

Here is Michigan’s Big Ten schedule for next season:

Home: Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Northwestern, Oregon, Penn State, Washington
Away: Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, UCLA, USC, Wisconsin
Home/Away: Michigan State, Purdue, Rutgers

Michigan is going to be a better team next season. Howard’s roster management was a train wreck in the final seasons of his tenure, ultimately leading to last season’s 8-24 debacle.

May is a tireless worker who is excited about the opportunity to coach at the highest level of the sport in the Big Ten. At No. 30 in Bart Torvik’s latest preseason rankings and a No. 7 seed in Joe Lunardi’s early bracketology, Michigan is expected to be an NCAA tournament team in 2025.

(Photo credit: Michigan Athletics)

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