Caleb Love situation shows Michigan Basketball is at a disadvantage

The Caleb Love situation frustrates Michigan basketball fans as the program is forced to compete with one hand tied behind its back. 

I wonder what Juwan Howard is thinking right now.

As a Michigan basketball fan, I’m furious that the school and its admissions office have once again cost the Wolverines a chance at a key player.

We should have known when the rumors started and Caleb Love wasn’t announced by Michigan basketball. To be fair, not one of the transfers has been announced yet, so I wouldn’t count any chickens before they have hatched.

Love said a couple of weeks ago that he was going to play for Michigan basketball, but it has been confirmed by Eric Bossi of 247 Sports that Love won’t be playing for the Wolverines next season and is still available in the transfer portal.

What does it mean for Michigan basketball?

It means that Michigan still can’t compete because of the archaic requirements. Admissions cost the Wolverines Terrence Shannon last offseason and if you had him on the 2022-23 team, Michigan would have made the NCAA tournament.

And with the loss of Caleb Love, the Wolverines went from a borderline tournament team that one that doesn’t even seem to have the talent to reach the NIT.

That’s probably harsh, but who’s going to score? Nimari Burnett isn’t a high-usage player. Dug McDaniel or Tarris Reed haven’t shown they can do that either.

Essentially, Love was the lynchpin for the entire roster. Now, it’s looking rough and if I was Juwan Howard, I’d leave for the NBA at the first opportunity.

Michigan’s NIL program is pathetic. There’s no other word to describe it. The fact that Hunter Dickinson made less than six figures is a joke — just like NIL at Michigan.

The football program has been able to overcome it but through basically no help from the school or athletic director (how is Warde Manuel still employed?).

The pursuit of Rayj Dennis makes more sense now, but when Baylor and Illinois are in the mix, Michigan doesn’t have much chance. If admissions doesn’t get in the way of Michigan basketball, NIL will, so I wouldn’t hold my breath there either.

It’s disappointing and frankly, it’s hard to have any hope for the future. Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, and every other major program is playing a different game than Michigan right now.

So if you want someone held accountable for missing the NCAA tournament next season, call Santa Ono, Warde Manuel, and the rest of the folks who still have Michigan painfully stuck in the past, instead of being the leaders and best.