Three Transfer Portal Players That Make The Most Sense For Michigan Basketball
Moussa Diabate and Caleb Houstan entered their names into the NBA Draft pool and after going through the process and receiving a lot of feedback, both have decided to forego their remaining eligibility at Michigan and remain in the draft. So just like that, after one year in Ann Arbor, their Michigan careers are over. Now, Juwan Howard has two open scholarship spots on his roster. There are quite a few high-end players available in the transfer portal, but three make more sense than others.
1. Pete Nance • 6-10, 225
As a versatile 4-man, Nance should be target 1, 2 and 3 for Juwan Howard and Michigan. He fits into Michigan's lineup perfectly and pairing him with Hunter Dickinson would immediately give U-M the best duo of bigs in the Big Ten. At 6-10, Nance can score from all three levels. He's a lanky, athletic presence around the rim, he's efficient in the mid-range and can shoot it from the outside (45.2% from three-point range). He's a smart kid and has been very effective at Northwestern and would round out Michigan's starting 5 perfectly if added to the roster.
Lineup with Nance:
PG - Jaelin Llewellyn
SG - Kobe Bufkin
SF - Terrance Williams II
PF - Pete Nance
C - Hunter Dickinson
2. Emoni Bates • 6-9, 190
There's baggage with Bates, and his time at Memphis was rocky at best, but there's also a lot of talent with him. At 6-9, he's a scorer, ball handler and shot creator — something Michigan has been and is still lacking. Bates is originally from Ypsilanti, which is obviously just down the road from Ann Arbor, so getting him closer to home and away from Memphis could be just what the doctor ordered. Or, maybe being back around his friends and "team" could be a bad fit, which Juwan Howard is certainly aware of. Howard prides himself as a molder of young men, and if he thinks he could get the best out of Bates, it would be worth adding him to the roster. If not, expect Bates to wind up at Louisville, Eastern Michigan or maybe even Oakland with former Michigan State hooper Rocket Watts.
Lineup with Bates:
PG - Jaelin Llewellyn
SG - Kobe Bufkin
SF - Emoni Bates
PF - Terrance Williams II
C - Hunter Dickinson
3. Jacob Grandison • 6-6, 210
Earlier this offseason, Michigan went all in to land Texas Tech transfer Terrence Shannon Jr. For various reasons, that didn't work out, and now Shannon is committed to Illinois. Fast forward to now, and it could be former Illini starter Jacob Grandison that could be on Michigan's radar. Grandison started 23 games last year at Illinois, so he's very familiar with the Big Ten and would be ready to take it on in 2022 in a new uniform. He shoots the three at a 40% clip, has good size at 6-6, 210 pounds and should be better this season after dealing with a shoulder injury last year.
Lineup with Grandison:
PG - Jaelin Llewellyn
SG - Kobe Bufkin
SF - Jacob Grandison
PF - Terrance Williams II
C - Hunter Dickinson
In a perfect world, Michigan would land Nance and either Bates or Grandison. That would really round out U-M's starting five and give them some much needed depth by either putting Williams or Bufkin back on the bench while tinkering with the best five. Llewellyn, Nance and Dickinson would be locks to start at the 1, 4 and 5, and then you could play with the 2 and 3 between Bates or Grandison, Bufkin, Williams and maybe even incoming freshman Jett Howard. It could look several ways and all of the potential options have some unique intrigue.
