Michigan Basketball: ESPN ranks Wolverines 19th for 2021 and its too low

ESPN released its way too early rankings for the 2020-21 college hoops season and Michigan basketball came in at 19th, which will end up being too low.

It’s true that there are quite a few unknowns right now for Michigan basketball heading into the 2020-21 season, but soon, the Wolverines will have a firm roster for next season and it could be one of the best in the country.

Regardless of how things shake out with Isaiah Todd, Joshua Christopher, Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner, as long as a couple of those players are on the roster, this Michigan basketball team will be very good, one of the best in the Big Ten and potentially one of the best in the country.

And ESPN took notice when it released its way too early rankings for next season as Michigan checked in at No. 19 in the poll, which was fifth among Big Ten teams as Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State and Wisconsin all came in ahead of the Wolverines.

That’s legitimate right now, but if Todd signs with Michigan basketball, he has been committed for months and if Christopher joins him, the Wolverines will boast two potential lottery picks to go along with returners such as Livers, Wagner, Eli Brooks, Brandon Johns and Austin Davis.

Other four-star freshmen that will be joining the team are Zeb Jackson, Hunter Dickinson and Terrance Williams, as well as three-star Jace Howard, the son of head coach Juwan Howard.

Dickinson could easily start for the departed Jon Teske and the rest of the lineup depends on what happens in the next month or two. U-M is also doing some work in the transfer market.

It’s certainly possible that Livers or Wagner declare for the NBA draft but neither is guaranteed to even be a second-round pick, so you have to think there is a decent chance that one or both return.

So if the perfect storm occurs, meaning the return of Livers and Wagner, as well as the singing of Todd and Christopher, Michigan would have as much talent as the Wolverines have had possibly since 2013.

Is a starting five of Brooks, Christopher, Wagner, Livers and Todd possible? That’s four NBA players along with Brooks and guys like David DeJulius, Johns, Dickinson, Williams and Davis coming off the bench — at the very least.

Under the worst-case scenario, Michigan could still be really solid and while 19th is nothing to complain about, there’s a good chance the Wolverines will be better than that.