Michigan Basketball: Top transfer target to decide Saturday
Michigan basketball is among four teams that transfer portal target DeVante Jones is considering as he is set to announce his destination. What are U-M’s chances?
In terms of one top target in the transfer portal, Michigan basketball will find out one way or another on Saturday as DeVante Jones is set to make his decision known.
Jones was the Sun Belt Player of the year during the 2020-21 season and is from Coastal Carolina. It was also learned earlier this week that he was going to hold a virtual meeting over Zoom with Juwan Howard and the coaching staff, which took place Monday night.
Following that meeting, Jones told Jeff Borzello of ESPN that he had narrowed his list down to four schools and would choose between the Wolverines, Texas Tech, Texas, and Memphis.
Had a Zoom meeting with Juwan Howard last night.
— Dylan Burkhardt (@umhoops) April 27, 2021
Here’s a deep dive about his potential fit in Ann Arbor. https://t.co/ZkddCJa31M https://t.co/toMFDFsiaL
Jones also shed some light earlier this week about what he’s looking for in a program. Here’s what he told ESPN:
"“In my next school, I’m looking to join a winning culture with a loving community,” Jones said. “I’ll only have one year so I just want the chance for a coach to trust in me to put the ball in my hands and trust me to make game-winning plays. But also, I want to be around a group of guys who love the game as much as me, if not more.”"
What are Michigan’s chances?
It’s really hard to judge with the transfer portal, but Jones said he wanted a chance to compete for a national championship and Michigan basketball feels like the best option with a ready-made roster.
More from GBMWolverine
- 3 things to watch for Michigan football vs. Rutgers
- Michigan football vs. Rutgers: Prediction, Odds, Spread and Over/Under for College Football Week 4
- Michigan Wolverines news: Jim Harbaugh wants J.J. McCarthy ‘gunslinging’, plus a drop in recruiting rankings
- Grades, game balls for Michigan football vs. Bowling Green
- Michigan Wolverines news: Jake Moody is money in the NFL, plus more
Michigan is losing a few players off last year’s team and there seems to be a big role for Jones to play. He might not necessarily be the starting point guard, but he would be able to compete for a starting job, while at worst, playing minutes off the bench.
He scored 19 points a game last season, but also averaged seven rebounds per game and was a really solid defender. All those things would make him a great fit on the court.
The culture at Michigan should be another selling point. Guys want to play for Juwan Howard right now and of that group, I think the Wolverines have a good chance.
But other teams might be able to sell a bigger role and Jones may prefer a more southern destination. You just never know.
We’ll see if a favorite emerges before Saturday, but right now, it’s hard to pick one out.