Welcome to my team preview series for 2024-25. Each day between now and the start of the college basketball season, I will preview one team or conference, both on Instagram (@collegehoopsoutlet) and through an article here. The preview will go in-depth on the roster build of the team, my expectations for their upcoming season, and the state of the program under their current head coach.
Michigan (Projected: 8th in B1G)
It’s a new era for Michigan basketball in 2024-25 as Dusty May takes over for Juwan Howard after an embarrassing campaign in 2023-24. May engineered a six-year rebuild at FAU, taking the Owls all the way to the Final Four in 2023. Now ready for a challenge in the Big Ten, May has put together a roster that can compete right away for an NCAA Tournament berth.
Three players remain at Michigan following the departure of Juwan Howard, a surprisingly high number compared to other coaching changes this offseason. Nimari Burnett (10 ppg, 4 rpg) is the biggest name of the trio, a 6-4 guard who can do a bit of everything. Burnett could be an option to start for the Wolverines in 2024-25, but I have him slotted as the sixth man, providing a bit of everything off the bench.
Will Tschetter (7 ppg) is another returner for the Wolverines who played solid minutes last season. Tschetter is mainly seen as a glue guy, a hard-working defender and a terrific floor spacer at 6-8 (51.9% 3P). He should find himself in the frontcourt rotation again this season, even with three incoming transfer forwards. Jace Howard (3 ppg) is the final returner, coming back to Michigan even after his father/head coach was let go. Howard could be a depth piece in the backcourt, depending on how Big Ten-ready the freshmen are.
Following Juwan Howard out the door were eight players, including six rotational guys. Seniors Olivier Nkamhoua (15 ppg, 7 rpg), Tray Jackson (5 ppg) and Jaelin Llewellyn (5 ppg) all used up their eligibility. Dug McDaniel (16 ppg, 4 rpg, 5 apg) left for Kansas State, George Washington III (1 ppg) transferred to Richmond, and Youssef Khayat (1 ppg) left the program. In the frontcourt, Terrence Williams II (12 ppg, 5 rpg) left for USC and Tarris Reed Jr (9 ppg, 7 rpg) transferred to UConn.
Six transfers join Dusty May for their first year at Michigan in 2024-25. Vlad Goldin (16 ppg, 7 rpg at FAU) is one of the bigger names, a crucial piece of May’s Final Four run at FAU in 2023. Goldin was an unsung hero throughout 2022-23, a key paint presence on both sides of the floor, before emerging as a star over the last 12 months. Goldin will be joined in the frontcourt by Yale transfer Danny Wolf (14 ppg, 10 rpg at Yale), creating a very formidable frontcourt duo, even in the Big Ten. Wolf broke out this season as a sophomore at Yale, a terrific rebounder and a solid three-point shooter at 7 feet tall. If May doesn’t want to go with a two-center approach, he can lean on Tschetter or Alabama transfer Sam Walters (5 ppg at Alabama). Walters stands at 6-10 but is more of a stretch-four, an elite shooter (39.4% 3P) during his freshman season with the Crimson Tide.
The trio of incoming guards via the transfer portal should also excite Michigan fans. Roddy Gayle Jr. (14 ppg, 5 rpg at Ohio State) made headlines this offseason when he left Ohio State for Michigan. After a breakout sophomore season with the Buckeyes, he’ll hope to carry over his elite slashing ability to his former rivals. Rubin Jones (12 ppg, 4 rpg, 4 apg at North Texas) has been an important piece of the North Texas backcourt the past four seasons and is my pick to start at point guard for the Wolverines this year. As with any North Texas player, Jones is an elite defender, and he also brings good playmaking and three-point shooting to the Wolverines’ backcourt. Tre Donaldson (7 ppg at Auburn) was a fringe starter for Auburn this past season as a sophomore and now joins the Michigan backcourt. Donaldson shot 41.2% from three last season, and if he can raise his volume will keeping his percentage in the forties, he should have a solidified role for the Wolverines.
Dusty May added four high school recruits to fill out his first roster as Michigan head coach. Justin Pippen (4*, NAT 67), the son of Scottie Pippen, was one of the biggest risers in the class of 2024 over the last 12 months. Pippen brings scoring and playmaking to the Michigan backcourt as a combo guard and should be able to give valuable minutes from day one. Durral Brooks (3*, NAT 167) is another freshman who could help right away in the backcourt, the top recruit out of the state of Michigan in the class of 2024. Lorenzo Cason (3*, NAT 243) and Howard Eisley Jr. (Unranked) round out the recruiting class, both unlikely to see much playing time as freshmen.
With the way he brought FAU to relevance, I have extreme confidence that Dusty May can get Michigan back to competing at the top of the Big Ten. This first season is likely to set the tone and reaching the NCAA Tournament is an important goal for the Wolverines to reach in my opinion. If success comes in year one, NIL money could start rolling in for the Wolverines and they could get back to what they were in the John Beilein days.
With a new head coach and almost an entirely new roster, it’s hard to say exactly what this Michigan team will look like this season. Roddy Gayle Jr. and Vlad Goldin should both be standouts for this team, but my X-factor is North Texas transfer Rubin Jones. I believe Jones will get handed the keys to the starting point guard position and his transition to the Big Ten level will be of great importance. I’m confident his defensive prowess will still be there in the Big Ten, but it will be vital for him to keep his playmaking ability at a high level.
The Big Ten may be the most even conference from top to bottom in the country and I have Michigan right in the middle of that mix. Banking on the veteran guys transferring in and a couple of key returners in Burnett and Tschetter back, I think this Michigan team has a good chance at sneaking back into the NCAA Tournament. I’ve got the Wolverines to finish 8th in the Big Ten, a spot that is likely just above the bubble come March.