Michigan Basketball: Wolverines offer 5-star guard Nimari Burnett

Michigan basketball is looking to add talent for 2019, but the Wolverines also are working on 2020 and beyond and offered a key five-star guard Tuesday.

This is a busy time for Michigan basketball when it comes to recruiting as the Wolverines are trying to add a piece or two for next season, while also working on the classes for 2020 and 2021.

Just recently, teams got to evaluate players for the first time live in the month of April and that always seems to bring out some offers and for Michigan basketball, that’s no different as UM extended an offer to five-star combo guard Nimari Burnett Tuesday.

Burnett is from Napa, California and is listed by 247 sports as the No. 2 combo guard in the country, as well as the fifth-ranked prospect in California in addition to being No. 23 nationally.

When you watch Burnett’s highlights, you can see why head coach John Beilein is interested in the 6-foot-3 guard. For one, he has an outstanding touch from beyond the arc and has the kind of dynamic 3-point shooting ability Michigan is after.

The Wolverines have their point guard in 2020 in Zeb Jackson and he looks to be a future star for Michigan basketball. It seems either Jackson or possibly David Dejulius will follow in the footsteps of Zavier Simpson.

While Dejulius has yet to show his full offensive arsenal, he showed flashes last season of being able to attack the bucket. He’s not a great perimeter shooter though and he’s another 6-foot-1 guard.

Michigan needs more size in the backcourt following the departure of Jordan Poole and even if that doesn’t come in 2019 via a graduate transfer such as Jaevin Cumberland or four-star guard Nah’shon Hyland, one of the top prospects in the upcoming freshman class not committed, it must be addressed.

Michigan basketball is still hoping to land Franz Wagner too and if the Wolverines do that, they will be loaded on the wing and in the frontcourt. Jalen Wilson is more of a small forward, as is the other 2019 signee, Cole Bajema.

UM also has Jon Teske, Brandon Johns, Colin Castleton and Isaiah Livers. That’s a very solid group and when you add Wilson, Bajema and then potentially Wagner, you can see how loaded Michigan would be at the three/four.

However, there is also a clear need in the backcourt. Adrien Nunez is the only true two-guard on the roster and while Eli Brooks and Dejulius have played there, they each lack the size and shooting ability of prototypical two guards.

That’s why bringing in someone like Burnett would be huge. He can handle the ball but doesn’t need to in order to be effective. His highlights show an incredible ability to make shots both spotting up and catching-and-shooting off screens. Those are both elements that will fit perfectly within Michigan’s offense.

Right now, Michigan could be in the mix too for Burnett, who has offers from USC, UCLA, Arizona State, Marquette and Ohio State among others. 247 sports has zero crystal ball projections for him now.

The guard visited Michigan basketball back in February, unofficially and it will be interesting to see if Beilein brings him in for an official visit soon. UM has been making a push with five-star prospects lately and Burnett could be the best chance at actually getting one.