15 best Michigan basketball NBA careers in Wolverines history

12. Jordan Poole

Originally from Milwaukee, Jordan Poole was a fringe Top 100 prospect who came to Michigan in 2017 and certainly left quite the impression in his two seasons with the Wolverines. He was a bench piece with decent production as a freshman but is widely remembered for his buzzer-beater against Houston in the second round of the 2018 NCAA Tournament.

As a sophomore, Poole averaged 12.8 points per game as a full-time starting guard, hitting just under 37% of his 3-point attempts that year.

Poole left school after just those two seasons and was taken late in the first round of the 2019 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. He split time between the Warriors and their G-League affiliate early in his career but has become a vital piece for the franchise in recent years.

In 2022, his third professional season, Poole saw his numbers explode. He averaged 18.5 points a game, led the entire NBA in free throw percentage, and helped the Warriors to the NBA championship. This current season has seen him average 20.4 points a game for the Warriors and he’s emerged as a top-level 3-point shooter.

Poole is the only active player on today’s list so it’s hard to judge his NBA career. In all likelihood, he’d be slotted higher if we did this list a few years in the future, but the first four years of his NBA career have been quite prosperous. He recently signed a multi-year extension with the Warriors and has clearly developed into an important backcourt weapon for them these last two seasons.