Nojel Eastern can help Michigan basketball in multiple ways

Michigan basketball picked up a commitment from Purdue transfer Nojel Eastern Thursday and here’s what to think about how he will fit in with U-M.

Michigan basketball has gotten much more active in the transfer market over the past week and in a surprise move, the Wolverines added their second player from the transfer portal Thursday as former Purdue guard Nojel Eastern announced his commitment to the Wolverines.

Eastern posted the news on Twitter, which comes just a couple of days after he announced he was leaving the Boilermakers after playing three years there.

Eastern’s transfer to Michigan might have been a surprise but it can help the Wolverines in a couple of ways. For one, Eastern is a 6-foot-7 defender who has been among the Big Ten’s best the past two years, earning All-Big Ten defensive honors twice in a row.

https://twitter.com/NEblessed_20/status/1260971079830515713

Whether he is able to play immediately or in 2021-22, that will help address a glaring need for the Wolverines on the perimeter. If Eastern gets a waiver and is allowed to play right away, he would add some interesting skills to Michigan’s guard situation.

His defensive abilities are elite and that could be enough to get him in the starting lineup with Eli Brooks at point guard. Mike Smith would probably then be the third guard off the bench, with Zeb Jackson getting bumped down to the No. 4 spot.

The issue with Eastern is his limited offensive game. While his career shooting percentage is 46, he averages just 5.1 points per game but he’s also averaged two assists per game and four rebounds. Last year, he brought the ball up for Purdue and could give the Wolverines another ball-handling option either this year or next.

I don’t see him being the primary point guard under Juwan Howard and if he doesn’t play this year, I think he’d be the perfect replacement for Brooks at the two, which would allow either Jackson or an incoming freshman to take over the point guard spot.

Realistically, Eastern could start at either spot, so like Brooks, he offers versatility. He just doesn’t bring much in terms of shooting. As Dylan Burkhart of UMHoops ($) writes, Eastern has upside with more ball screens since Purdue ran the fewest in the Big Ten, while according to Burkhardt, Howard and U-M was ninth in the nation.

"“Eastern finished the season ranked in the 23rd percentile as a ball screen facilitator — 31st percentile as a scorer and 17th as a passer — but he only logged 66 ball screen plays total. Zavier Simpson averaged 19 ball screen plays per game. Eastern’s statistical profile doesn’t scream out “ball screen guard” but means he could have untapped potential.”"

With his size and athleticism, you could see him being a distributor but he’s not a 3-point shooter, having attempted only 16 in his career. A best-case scenario is a bigger version of Zavier Simpson while offering some of the versatility Brooks does.

Michigan could use his help right away, but if the Wolverines are forced to wait a year, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. Adrien Nunez and Brandon Johns will be the only scholarship players along with Jace Howard, Hunter Dickinson, Terrance Williams and Jackson, so Eastern would take one of two scholarships available now, as well as possibly one of seven next year.

His fit is intriguing and it will be fascinating to see how Howard utilizes him on offense, but no matter what, his defensive ability will make Michigan basketball better, whenever he winds up taking the court for the Wolverines.