Michigan Basketball: 3 Thoughts on Cole Bajema entering transfer portal

More transfer urgency?

While some Michigan basketball fans might want Howard to get more aggressive in pursuing a transfer because of this, I’m not sure that will the case.

The market is pretty thin at this point, especially for graduate transfers who can play next season. Michigan did show interest in Nike Sibande, yet he trimmed his list of teams and the Wolverines didn’t make the cut.

If Livers comes back, Michigan will have Brooks, Smith, Jackson, Nunez, Wagner, Williams, Livers, Jace Howard, Brandon Johns, Dickinson and Austin Davis. That’s still a solid group, even without Bajema and it’s hard to see someone magically appearing who can contribute next season.

It does make the need for an experienced guard heading into the 2021-22 season even more pronounced though. Brooks, Smith, Davis and Livers will be gone for sure after next season, with Wagner likely to follow. That leaves just Jackson, Nunez, Williams, Howard, Johns and Dickinson, which could mean as many as seven recruits in the 2021 class.

That’s a huge group. The 2020 class looked at one time as though it might have six and that seemed like a large group.

Essentially, the 2020 class is going to be the core of the team beyond this year, along with Johns. Bajema could have been part of that group. Now, he won’t be and that’s another reason finding an experienced guard who has to sit out a year is a good idea.