Cole Bajema Enters The Transfer Portal
Wolverine Digest has confirmed that rising sophomore guard Colson "Cole" Bajema is in the transfer portal as of May 5.
Bajema originally committed to the Wolverines under John Beilein's watch but remained on board once Juwan Howard was hired. It was almost a year ago to the day that Bajema reaffirmed his commitment to the Wolverines.
"The departure of Coach Beilein came as a big surprise," Bajema wrote. "Given Coach Beilein recruited me, I am sad to see him go but fully support him in his new venture at the Cavaliers. I cannot thank the entire Michigan basketball staff enough for their support. Having patiently waited for Michigan to name its new head coach, I am very excited Juwan Howard is the new head coach. I believe he will uphold the great culture that is Michigan basketball. I know there's been a lot of speculation out there but I am ALL IN for Coach Howard and ready to report in June! Go Blue!"
Now, Bajema is on his way out.
The full release on Bajema's exit is as follows:
The David and Meredith Kaplan University of Michigan men's basketball coach Juwan Howard announced today (Tuesday, May 5) that freshman guard Cole Bajema has entered the NCAA transfer portal.
Bajema, a 6-7 guard from Lynden, Washington, played in 10 games off the bench for the Wolverines and averaged 2.6 points while shooting 76.9 percent from the floor (10-for-13) and 57.1 percent (4-for-7) from long range. He highlighted his first season in Ann Arbor, playing 11 minutes against Presbyterian College (Dec. 21) as he went 3-for-4 from the field for a career-best nine points. The Wolverines finished with a 19-12 record before the postseason was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Prior to U-M, Bajema was a three-year varsity guard at Lynden Christian and helped the Lyncs to three straight 20-plus win seasons. Named Washington's 2018 AP Class 1A Player of the Year, Bajema averaged 23.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and guided Lynden Christian to the Class 1A State Championship following an 82-45 victory over Freeman, closing the season with a 26-1 overall record. It was the school's first state title since 2012.
Bajema will have to sit out the 2020-21 season and will have three years of eligibility remaining. He is also the third Wolverine to transfer after David DeJulius (Cincinnati) and Colin Castleton (Florida) also entered the NCAA portal in April.
With Bajema's departure, the Wolverines now have two open scholarships for the upcoming season.
