Michigan basketball has one roster spot left for the 2026-27 season, and the hope is that it ends up going to Morez Johnson.
The 6-foot-11 forward/center, who starred for the Wolverines this past season, helping them win their first national championship in 37 years, stood out at the NBA draft combine recently, making it even more likely that he won't be returning to play for Michigan basketball.
Dusty May told Andy Katz this week that the Wolverines were "ready to pivot" if needed. May said that Johnson would have a very difficult decision after playing so well at the combine.
It feels unlikely that Johnson, a potential lottery pick and probably a guaranteed first-round pick, would return to school, although Yaxel Lendeborg came to Michigan when he likely would have been a first-round pick.
Now, Lendeborg is expected to go in the lottery. That could have been a motivation for Johnson, but he might already be a lottery pick.
A college basketball insider predicted that Johnson will stay in the draft earlier this week, so here are three options for Dusty May to pivot to.
Allen Graves, Santa Clara
The 6-foot-9 forward is also going through the NBA draft process. He was stellar coming off the bench last season for Santa Clara. He averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists last season with just four starts.
Graves shot 51.2 percent from the field, 41.3 percent from 3-point range, on 2.6 attempts per game, and averaged 2.8 offensive rebounds. It would be a jump up in competition, but there's a chance Graves stays in the NBA draft, too.
Graves could be a Michigan target if he decides to return to school. Yet, according to Nola.com, the only teams that have reached out to him or his agents are Duke, LSU, and Kentucky.
That may change once Morez Johnson makes his final decision. The Wolverines could make a lucrative offer, and along with May's developmental track record, could offer an intriguing option for Graves.
It also offers the chance to win a national championship. That's not something every team can offer.
Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor
The 6-foot-5 wing was a light-out scorer for Baylor last season, averaging 17.8 points per game, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. He shot 46.5 percent from the field and 29 percent from 3-point range. The lengthy defender added two steals per game, so he'd be a great fit.
Tounde Yessoufou has declared for the NBA draft and the portal, just like Graves. He's an interesting player who could be leaning toward staying in, too. Trotter predicted that Graves would stay in the draft, just like Johnson. Yet, he wrote has no idea about Yessoufou, but that a return to college makes sense.
If that happens, Michigan basketball should make a run at the rising sophomore. He would be an ideal fit, and if he could improve his 3-point shot, he could easily be a lottery pick in his own right.
Hamad Mousa, Cal Poly
Mousa is a 6-foot-8 combo guard who scored over 20.4 points per game last season in the Big West. That's a big difference from the Big Ten, yet he averaged 6.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists. The big wing also shot 37.2 percent from 3-point range on 7.1 attempts per game.
Those are similar 3-point numbers to Juke Harris. Mousa isn't that caliber of player. He needs to add strentgh, and could be a fit coming off the bench, at least until he learns to be a better defender.
The tools are all there. Michigan basketball has sniffed around some. If Johnson stays in the draft, along with the others, Mousa would be a great guy to pivot to. May might have made it clear the Wolverines are waiting on Morez Johnson before doing anything, which makes sense.
Once the Morez situation is clear, I'd expect Michigan to move quickly. May likes the roster, but it still feels like it needs another piece. Mousa would be the less proven option, but we've also seen May bring out the best in plenty of players over the past two seasons.
Surely, he will be able to do it again.
Add us as a preferred source on Google