Wolverine Digest

BREAKING: Michigan basketball veteran announces return for 2025-26 season

This is a big land for Dusty May.
Trent Knoop|
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Michigan Wolverines

Following a Sweet 16 loss to Auburn, Michigan basketball veterans Will Tschetter and Roddy Gale Jr. said they were come back to Ann Arbor for another season. But they won't be alone.

On Monday, veteran Nimari Burnett announced he would also be back wearing the maize and blue for another season. Burnett was vital for what Michigan did this past season. He started all 37 games for Michigan this past season and averaged 9.4 points and 3.5 rebounds. The Chicago native shot a career-best 40% from 3 under May and was efficient shooting a career-best 47.6% from the floor.

Speaking recently to Sam Webb on The Michigan Insider, coach May said he was expecting Burnett back in the fold.

"We've had great conversations. I'm very careful about speaking for any of these guys, but Nimari, we want him back at the University of Michigan," May said. "We're supporting his fact-finding mission of gathering information right now. He's a big part of this program."

"He'll have a really good basketball season next year. We anticipate it'd be here. But once again, nothing is finalized until it's final. We expect him to be back; we're excited for him to be back. He was a big, big part of our success this year. His leadership and his maturity is impressive. He's a guy at any point -- weights, conditioning, or practice -- we can show, point a young guy in his direction."

With the return of Burnett, Gayle Jr., and Tschetter, Michigan will have some experience to go along with what it did in the portal. The Wolverines have a top transfer portal class after signing four top prospect -- one bing UAB's Yaxel Lendeborg.

Nimari Burnet
Brett Davis-Imagn Images

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Trent Knoop
TRENT KNOOP

Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI during the 2025 football season. Trent also serves as the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI. His other bylines have appeared on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.

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