3 biggest questions facing Michigan Basketball this offseason
Who stays/goes?
This question really relates to three players: Hunter Dickinson, Moussa Diabate, and Caleb Houstan. All three have NBA-level talent and will get long looks from pro scouts if they decide to enter the NBA draft.
The play now is always to get evaluated. You can enter your name and withdraw as Isaiah Livers did, Franz Wagner did, and Hunter Dickinson did last offseason. Hunter seems ready for pro basketball and I would be shocked if he came back, although if you put together a really enticing NIL package it could help.
But another season isn’t going to boost his draft stock more. He was a force offensively for Michigan basketball this season. He developed a jumper and an effective 3-pointer. He needs more work in that area but playing professionally isn’t going to hurt and even if he doesn’t reach the NBA, he can make tons of money overseas as can Brooks and DeVante Jones.
At the same time, I feel like there is a solid chance that Houstan returns. He showed glimpses of being really good from 3-point range this season and led U-M in 3-point makes. However, he shot under 40 percent for the season and was awful away from home.
As a sophomore though, Houstan would absolutely shine and with a good sophomore season, he could easily be a first-rounder in 2023. The same can be said for Moussa Diabate.
Neither made the impact that some Michigan basketball fans expected and the truth is that our expectations were probably too high. With the way COVID-19 impacted college hoops, there are lots of experienced players in the game and that lack of experience hurt this season.
However, Diabate, like Houstan, could take a huge leap and unlike Dickinson, he’s got athleticism and potential up the wazoo. He showed flashes like the offensive outbursts against Iowa/North Carolina, as well as some great defensive moments too.
Yet, he needs to be more consistent and hopefully, Howard and the coaches can convince him to return because if the Wolverines get Moussa and Houstan back for next season, then suddenly, this roster is looking much better in terms of being a Big Ten title contender.