Michigan Basketball: Could Harlond Beverly replace Jordan Poole?

Michigan basketball is reportedly going after four-star combo guard Harlond Beverly and that probably means Jordan Poole isn’t coming back to UM.

Things can change rapidly during this time of year and for the Michigan basketball team, acting quickly is going to be the name of the game.

One day after the NCAA tournament champion was decided as Virginia beat Texas Tech for the title, three Michigan basketball players, Charles Matthews, Jordan Poole and Ignas Brazdeikis declared for the NBA draft and hired an agent.

Now, it’s possible that all three players could return, but it’s looking less and less likely that we will see any of them play for the Wolverines again.

Matthews was always going to go pro after this season and even if he returned, there doesn’t seem to be much he could do to improve his draft stock. He seems destined to go in the second round or undrafted. Either way, he is probably playing in the G-League next season.

Brazdeikis is the best prospect overall and probably has the most upside. He has the size and the jumper to play in the NBA, although his offensive game needs a lot of fine-tuning. My guess is that he goes somewhere in the top 40-50 picks.

That brings us to Poole, who might be the most interesting case. Certainly, he showed the talent of an NBA player during his two seasons at Michigan basketball but his game needs a lot of polish. But maybe he thinks that will come at the NBA level or in the G-League. Two-way contracts like the ones Derrick Walton and Duncan Robinson have played under have made things different.

Even if you don’t get drafted, you can get into the league. At any rate, it was reported by The Michigan Insider Tuesday that the Wolverines coaches are going to renew their pursuit of four-star combo guard Harlond Beverly ($), who is not committed to any team.

The 6-foot-4 guard from Florida is ranked as the No. 11 combo guard according to the 247 sports composite rankings, while coming in as the No. 82 player nationally. Right now, all five of his crystal ball projections have him going to Michigan State.

Yet, the Wolverines didn’t have scholarships to offer and if Poole and Iggy leave, along with Matthews, Michigan basketball suddenly has three openings. One option could be Lester Quinones who is scheduled to visit UM later this month, while Franz Wagner if he plays college hoops, is another possibility.

The other 2019 recruit worth watching right now is Beverly. Of course, he has a lot of other offers and some from powerhouse teams like Kansas and Michigan State. At the same time though, under John Beilein, Michigan has become a power too, so don’t count out the Wolverines.

What the pursuit does tell us though, is that Poole likely isn’t coming back, which means Michigan needs a new starting two-guard for the 2019-20 season.