What Christian Anderson decommitment means for Michigan basketball

One positive thing for new Michigan basketball head coach Dusty May is that he won't have to worry about the scholarship limit.

That became even more pronounced on Friday as four-star point guard signee Christian Anderson will be re-opening his commitment according to multiple reports. Anderson signed with the Wolverines under Juwan Howard and has been committed since November of 2023.

You can see why Anderson would be ready to move on. Dusty May was able to meet with Durral Brooks and convinced him to keep his commitment to Michigan basketball. But outside of Brooks, not a single player is committed to the 2024-25 season.

The Wolverines have four scholarship players who haven't entered the transfer portal. But there's no guarantee any of them will be on the roster. Ideally, May and Michigan basketball would keep a few returning players so the entire team isn't turned over.

Anderson, who is ranked No. 110 overall in the 2024 class according to the 247 Sports Composite rankings, seemed like a good fit for May's system which puts a premium on shooting, ball-handling, and playmaking. However, you can understand why the 5-foot-11 guard might want to see what other programs are interested.

What does this mean for Michigan basketball?

Anderson wasn't likely to be an integral piece next season but could have been a nice option for the future, as well as someone who could have played key minutes off the bench. Despite his ranking, Anderson has been dominant in the EYBL and is an elite scorer.

Yet, May has been active in the portal and if the opportunities arise, I'm sure he'll try to land some other 2024 recruits in addition to recruiting younger players in the transfer portal.

You don't want to turn over the roster this dramatically this offseason, which is why May will have to strike a delicate balance between players who can help Michigan basketball next season and multi-year guys who might not contribute as much right away.

It will be interesting to see how that plays out, but Anderson is a loss, no question about it.