Isaiah Todd spurns Michigan basketball too, what now for Wolverines?

Michigan basketball got some tough news Monday night, but it got even worse on Tuesday as five-star Isaiah Todd decommitted from the Wolverines.

Things went from bad to worse in a hurry Tuesday for Michigan basketball as the Wolverines learned that not only would Josh Christopher not be coming, but Isaiah Todd wouldn’t be either.

The news was first reported by SI and recruiting director Jason Jordan.

Obviously, it’s bad news for Michigan basketball and fans are probably going to be going off the deep end after the developments of Monday. The Wolverines will no longer have the No. 4 class in 2020 and any talk of a second Fab Five now looks silly.

Michigan nabbed a commitment from Todd, a McDonald’s All-American for the first time in two decades, yet was spurned for the option to play pro basketball in Europe. It stings, there is no question about it and it leaves the Wolverines in a lurch, at least in terms of scholarships.

As far as the actual roster, it’s not as bad as some might think.

For one, it makes projecting the starting lineup next season much easier. If Isaiah Livers returns, it will be Mike Smith, Eli Brooks, Franz Wagner, Livers and either Brandon Johns or Hunter Dickinson at center.

Livers seems more likely to return now. Before, there was a question of how much he would be showcased with Todd and Christopher in the lineup. But at this point, Livers and Wagner would be the featured guy and each could showcase his NBA ability on a team that should still be a top-25 squad.

Long term, it doesn’t have a ton of impact either. Todd is a really raw talent. He doesn’t defend that well and his game needs a lot of polish. He wasn’t going to carry Michigan basketball to a Final Four or anything. He and Christopher, that’s something else, because Christopher, combined with all the other pieces, did have Final-Four potential.

And both were always going to be one-and-done guys anyway. Hunter Dickinson, Terrance Williams and Zeb Jackson are the three recruits in 2020 that were always going to be multi-year players.

Dickinson has NBA potential and all three probably do. Williams is undersized, but if he were 6-foot-8 or 6-foot-9, he’d probably be a top-20 recruit. And Zeb Jackson was always viewed as the future at point guard, so that hasn’t changed.

The issue is that Michigan now has two opens spots, even if Livers returns, so it’s going to have to explore the transfer market. Jace Howard should get a scholarship and U-M should explore other wings or big athletic big men.

Either way, the 2021 class is going to be pivotal. There could be 6-7 spots available and with a better start, it’s the one Juwan really needs to get right.

The 2020 class is still probably going to be ranked as the best in the Big Ten and three of the 10 best commits in the league, according to 247 sports, are coming to Ann Arbor. So all is not lost.

It’s just crazy that a week or so ago, we were worried about not having enough scholarships.