Michigan Basketball: 3 thoughts on roster in a state of flux

Now that the transfer portal deadline has come and gone, here are some thoughts on the Michigan basketball roster in a state of flux. 

There was some worry that Michigan basketball would lose more than one player to the transfer portal last week after Frankie Collins entered his name.

The addition of Jaelin Llewellyn and rumors of other portal additions (Emoni Bates even though he’s now projected to Louisville), caused some tense moments this weekend as we waited to see how many departures there would be.

However, the May 1 deadline came and went.

No other players entered the transfer portal despite there being some rumblings about Kobe Bufkin and Terrance Williams and that’s where we start as we take a look at U-M’s roster following the transfer portal chaos, and now the NBA draft deadline (June 1) which looms large.

Keeping Williams, Bufkin, and Barnes

It’s a good thing that those guys are back because the Wolverines are going to need them. Bufkin is one of the most important players on the roster and his leap from year one to year two will be vital as in he’s got to take one.

Williams just needs to be more consistent and continue to hit 3-pointers at a higher volume. He shot 38 percent last season and was second on the team in percentage but shot only 52 for the season.

There’s a good chance he will be playing a lot more minutes next season and if he can be a reliable stretch four alongside Hunter Dickinson that would be huge. It was also good to keep Isaiah Barnes in the fold.

Soon after the season, there was talk that he was going to leave via the transfer portal, but the 6-foot-7 guard with athleticism is sticking around and that’s a good thing. Michigan basketball needs to be able to develop guys that aren’t one-and-done prospects.

And with that, we shift our focus to the guys going through the NBA draft process — Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate.