Michigan Basketball: 5 Wolverines who need to step up in 2022-23

T-Will

There was some concern that Bufkin was going to transfer at one time and there were even rumblings about Terrance Williams leaving via the portal too. But both players ended up staying and each could be in the starting five next year.

Bufkin saw an average of 10 minutes a game last season. For T-Will that number was 15 and he actually played an important role in some key victories. He shot 38 percent from 3-point range and his two offensive boards against Tennessee were vital to that NCAA Tournament win.

If Diabate or Houstan returns to Michigan basketball, then it’s likely that one of those guys will be the starting four. That actually could be Houstan’s best position and he would get so many open looks playing next to Hunter Dickinson it would be scary.

But if Houstan leaves and Michigan doesn’t add any big names in the transfer portal, Williams is set to be the starting four. Williams was ranked No. 101 overall in the 247 sports composite in the 2020 class and a big reason for that was his height.

He’s 6-foot-6, 6-foot-7 and that’s not ideal for a stretch four. Yet, that’s what Williams can be. He only got 52 3-point attempts last season but if he’s starting, that number will rise dramatically, especially if Houstan is gone.

Williams will need to be reliable from deep in order to keep his spot and playing closer to 30 minutes a game will require his defense to be better too. But the opportunity is there and he’s always played well with Dickinson from their time together with Team Takeover.

To win championships, you need your star players like Dickinson to play like stars and top-100 recruits like Williams to develop into key contributors.