There are a lot of things in flux for Michigan basketball and head coach Dusty May right now, but the Wolverines landed a new piece for the roster on Thursday.
It was an under-the-radar move as Jalen Reed, a former top-100 recruit, who has played the past four seasons for LSU, has transferred to Michigan.
The 6-foot-10, 220-pound power forward is ranked No. 142 overall, according to the 247 Sports transfer portal rankings, as well as 33rd among power forwards.
It's not an addition that will wow fans, but it has sneaky potential.
Dusty May could get the best out of new Michigan transfer commit Jalen Reed
May has shown over the past two seasons that one of his superpowers is getting the most out of players, even when others didn't.
Reed was highly-touted coming out of high school and started 31 games in his first two seasons with LSU, playing in 65 games total.
After an inefficient freshman season, Reed has been effective when he's on the floor. He shot 39.4, 50, and 42.4 percent from 3-point range over the past three seasons. He scored 9.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and shot 57 percent with two offensive rebounds per game. The problem is that he played just six games for an average of 18 minutes.
The first key for Reed will be staying healthy. He's only played 14 games over the past two seasons. He played limited minutes last season, but had a 13 percent offensive rebounding rate, and a usage rate of 26 percent.
There is a lot of upside with this move. With the 15-man roster, there isn't much downside. Michigan needed another big man who could come off the bench. Reed can do that and provide some 3-point shooting, interior scoring, and offensive rebounding.
There's a world where Reed could be an effective third or fourth big, as long as he can stay on the floor. If that happens, Dusty May will do wonders with Reed, just like he has with others over the past few seasons.
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