Michigan Basketball: 3 Wolverines who should consider returning

For some Michigan basketball players, returning for the 2021-22 season doesn’t make a lot of sense. Guys like Franz Wagner and Isaiah Livers, maybe even Hunter Dickinson could have pro careers to think about next season.

But who is coming back is always a popular topic in the days and weeks following the season and that’s no different for Michigan basketball, which saw its season end in heartbreaking fashion to UCLA on Tuesday night.

Yet, this year is different in some ways and one big way in particular for players. They were essentially given a free year of eligibility, so if say some of the seniors wanted to return for another season, they could do so. And they wouldn’t even count against the scholarship count.

Michigan basketball could bring back Eli Brooks, Mike Smith, Chaundee Brown, Austin Davis, Isaiah Livers, and still bring in someone from the transfer portal, assuming the University was willing to pay for all the scholarships.

Of course, that’s not going to happen. That was just an example. You can only have so many guys on a basketball team and really beyond 8-10 at max, most won’t see much playing time.

But that doesn’t mean Michigan basketball couldn’t use another year from some of its seniors and in a few instances, it would seem to make sense for the player too.

Keep this in mind, each guy has their own academic and professional goals. I don’t know what their majors are or what they have studied.

I also don’t think it’s likely that U-M has more than one or two guys return. The Wolverines have some talented players returning, although Franz Wagner is likely gone and Hunter Dickinson could be too, plus the top-ranked recruiting class in the country.

Yet, the roster is going to have some holes, which could be filled by some of the current parts, if they choose that extra year, and here are three who it makes the most sense for.