5 transfers that make sense for Michigan Basketball right now
Michigan basketball has been active in reaching out to players in the transfer portal and here are five that make sense based on what we know right now.
If there is one thing we know about Michigan basketball, it’s that things need to change next season.
The Wolverines missed the NCAA tournament altogether this past season and barely made it the season before. Michigan basketball lost 15 games or more in each of the past two seasons and that’s just not acceptable.
Juwan Howard has had double-digit losses in three of his four seasons as the Michigan basketball head coach. One reason, at least the past two years, has been a lack of depth and talent.
Yes, Michigan basketball has had Hunter Dickinson and this past season — Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard, as well as other NBA draft picks Moussa Diabate and Caleb Houstan.
However, that talent can take time to develop and those growing pains have really hurt the Wolverines over the past two years. At times, guys like Houstan and Howard looked flat-out lost on the defensive end of the floor.
Teams that are winning in college basketball are old. They are experienced and guard heavy. Michigan has been trending towards more bigs and a lack of reliable guards was the biggest reason this team failed to win games late.
Not having a four worth starting also killed the Wolverines in 2022-23. Terrance Williams or Will Tschetter can’t be the starter again. An upgrade needs to be made and that’s where we begin our list of five transfers that make sense for Michigan basketball right now.
Forward Jamison Battle
Minnesota forward Jamison Battle has entered the transfer portal and more than 15 programs have reached out already. Michigan isn’t one of them. At least not yet.
Right now, Battle isn’t even sure if he’s going to play college basketball next season. It sounds like the pro option is still on the table but I would love for Michigan basketball to make a push for him.
Battle didn’t shoot the ball as well this past season, especially from 3-point range at 31.3 percent. However, he shot better than 35 percent in the three seasons before that and we have seen Battle go off against the Wolverines before.
He might not be the best defender but he’s not terrible and he’s 6-foot-7. He can play either forward spot and would add a much-needed scoring presence from deep and the mid-range.
Nebraska is one Big Ten program that has reached out and his experience in the league is another thing that attracts me to Battle. He’s a proven starter in the Big Ten and alongside Hunter Dickinson, I could easily see him having a really stellar season in 2023-24.