Michigan Basketball: Is U-M better with Nojel Eastern over Cole Bajema?

Michigan basketball added a transfer in former Purdue guard Nojel Eastern, while losing Cole Bajema to Washington. Are the Wolverines better off?

A few weeks ago, Michigan basketball fans didn’t expect Cole Bajema to transfer and the same thing could probably be said about Purdue guard Nojel Eastern.

Eastern was once a starter and a key player for the Boilermakers but he had seen his role decrease. However, he is a proven commodity in the Big Ten, at least to some extent, while Bajema, for all his shooting ability, is still an unknown.

On Saturday, Bajema announced his decision to transfer to Washington, which makes sense. He was a west-coast kid and with everything going on, it wasn’t shocking to see him go a little closer to home.

Bajema is raw, but he has offensive talent as he showed in brief glimpses last season. Yet, there were legitimate questions about how much he would be able to contribute this year, especially with all of the offseason disruption.

The ideal scenario if Bajema returned, would be for him to develop into a reliable option off the bench. He has some potential in ball-screen scenarios and has even more as an off-the-ball shooter. There are questions about his defense, so a ton of minutes weren’t guaranteed.

Looking ahead to 2021-22, Bajema could have been in line for a bigger role that season but it was pretty clear head coach Juwan Howard was going hard after guards in the 2021 recruiting class, so again, Bajema’s future role was far from guaranteed.

With Eastern, there are plenty of questions too, such as will he be able to play next season? If so, Michigan basketball will be better in the short term with Eastern on the roster over Bajema. Even with his limited offense, Eastern will be a big upgrade defensively and could even start because of that.

Eastern may not be a starter, but with his 6-foot-7 frame, plus his ability to distribute and rebound, he should see plenty of playing time if he gets a waiver to be immediately eligible. And then, in 2021-22, with Franz Wagner likely gone, as well as Eli Brooks and Mike Smith gone to graduation, Eastern should have a solid chance at earning a starting job.

His offense has potential, if Howard can find the right fit within Michigan’s system. But even if that project fails, Eastern’s contributions on defense will be a major upgrade, whether he ends up on the roster this season or next.