Tre Donaldson commitment gives Michigan basketball a point guard

Michigan basketball is starting to put together a solid transfer portal class and following the commitment of Auburn point guard Tre Donaldson, the Wolverines are ranked No. 7 in the 247 Sports transfer portal rankings.

Donaldson is an interesting commitment. He's got two years left and while he didn't start, outside of 10 games at Auburn, he played 19 minutes a game last season and is a somewhat proven player

Donaldson will have to prove he can be effective as a starter. But he averaged 6.7 points, 3.2 assists, and shot 41 percent from 3-point range. The 6-foot-3 guard shot 47 percent overall and was a four-star recruit as a defensive back too.

Here are some thoughts on Dusty May's fourth commitment of the weekend.

Dusty May has his point guard

All signs point to Michigan basketball using Donaldson as their starting point guard. Justin Pippen and Rubin Jones could play some minutes there too, or even Durral Brooks, but the expectation will be around 30 minutes a night from Donaldson.

I like that he comes from the SEC. He had a high turnover percenage but also a strong assist rate. He ranks in the 91st percentile in catch-and-shoot attempts, and 86th in shots off the dribble. He wasn't a high-volume shooter but you can see him getting used a lot in ball-screen situations next season.

Donaldson is also a solid defender. His point-per-possession rating per 100 possessions is 99.6. That's going to be an upgrade. He's probably not going to score 15 points a game, but it feels like he could average double digits in points, while being a solid two-way point guard.

May has added a wing in Rubin Jones and a player in Donaldson who have offensive ability. Yet, both should be clear defensive upgrades. When you consider Nimari Burnett, if he returns, Michigan basketball suddenly has a group of athletic guards/wings who can shoot the 3-ball. It also has a pass-first point guard who can shoot.

Michigan also landed one of the best big men in the transfer portal, plus are still the favorite to land Vlad Goldin and now Roddy Gayle. If the Wolverines added three more transfers, they could focus on 2024 recruiting.

Donaldson was a key part of that though. He's going to be the point guard, likely for the next two seasons, so May better be right in his evaluation. On the whole, this take seems like a no-brainer for Michigan basketball and like Jones, it might not make headlines, but it's a winning addition with a lot to like about it and what feels like little downside.

Even if Donaldson is just what he was at Auburn, that would be a valuable piece for Michigan basketball. But if he can play 10 more minutes, and cut back on the turnovers, it could be a steal.