Still in the midst of a tumultuous offseason, the Michigan men’s basketball team’s glimmer of hope has been adding three players from the transfer portal. But now, that number is down to two. 

On Wednesday, it was announced that former North Carolina guard Caleb Love will not be a Wolverine. First reported by Joe Tipton, Love has decommitted from Michigan. The decommitment appears to be related to admissions issues that prevented Love from enrolling at Michigan.

Love was the Wolverines’ biggest transfer grab, so not having him on the team in the fall is a significant loss for Michigan. Love is an immediate impact player, and he has shown that throughout his career.

As a freshman, he wasted no time making his mark — starting 26 games and averaging double-digit points. In the two years that followed with the Tar Heels, he continued to contribute thoroughly on the statsheet. With the Wolverines losing their top three scorers this offseason, Love’s scoring would have been a key addition. 

But that is no longer an option for Michigan.

Even without Love, the Wolverines do have some strong options at the guard position. Dug McDaniel proved his capabilities thrust into a starting role as a freshman last season, Jaelin Llewellyn brings leadership and experience as he works his way back from an ACL injury and Alabama transfer Nimari Burnett is a new addition who can add impact.

Michigan hosted MAC Player of the Year Toledo guard RayJ Dennis last week, who could be a strong contender to fill the vacancy that Love leaves behind, if Dennis chooses to transfer to Michigan.

The Wolverines have had a rough few months, losing two players to the NBA Draft and a slew of others to the transfer portal. And now, Michigan is losing its coveted transfer in Love. 

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For the past month, one question has loomed over not only the Michigan basketball team, but the college basketball community as a whole:

Where will Hunter Dickinson go?

While the answer to that question remained unknown until now, it seemed to be clear that the junior center would not be returning to Ann Arbor. That notion was confirmed on Thursday, as Dickinson announced on his Twitter that he will be transferring to Kansas.

The Jayhawks were one of the strongest teams in the country last season, earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Although Kansas is losing its leading scorer in Jalen Wilson — who was at one point committed to Michigan —  Jayhawks coach Bill Self’s history and supporting cast of players alleviate concerns about the team regressing. 

Although Kansas’s tournament run ended in underwhelming fashion in the second round, the Jayhawks won a national championship two years ago — and with Dickinson now on the team, Kansas positions itself to once again contend for that title.

As the No. 1-ranked transfer in the portal, Dickinson spent the past 32 days being courted by blue bloods like Kansas and Kentucky, schools close to home like Maryland and Georgetown and programs with former teammates like Villanova. Both Kansas and Kentucky even flew their head coaches up to Ann Arbor to meet with Dickinson in an attempt to capture his interest in their respective schools. 

When Dickinson initially entered the transfer portal, one of the reasons behind that decision was his focus on winning, and using that to foster his NBA Draft stock. 

Back in February, Dickinson discussed his then-unknown future, and the factor that the Wolverines’ success — or lack thereof, at times — plays in it. 

“For me, my draft stock kind of depends on my team’s success and how far my team goes and stuff like that,” Dickinson said on The Michigan Insider podcast. “So I’ve never really been able to make decisions before the end of the season because I’ve just been weighing on how my team does and how I perform at the end of the season because that’s when your draft stock can rise the highest.” 

The shortcomings that Dickinson alluded to were reinforced this past year, as Michigan failed to make the NCAA Tournament outright. Even the prior season, when the Wolverines reached the Sweet Sixteen, the team lacked consistency and looked shaky throughout the season before going on a run at the right time. 

And now that Michigan is without Dickinson — its one source of consistent production — those issues are even more rampant. With Dickinson’s departure, the Wolverines have three starting spots to fill. Forward Tarris Reed Jr. appears to be the likely candidate to fill Dickinson’s role next year, but Reed played just 12.6 minutes per game in his freshman campaign, and expecting Dickinson-like production is an unrealistic expectation. 

Reed likely won’t be able to fill the hole Dickinson leaves behind himself, and it’s unknown who else can help him make up for it next season. The ‘4’ position had major issues, lacking consistency last season, and losing the second- and third-leading scorers behind Dickinson — wing Jett Howard and guard Kobe Bufkin, respectively — leaves Michigan with more questions than answers.

It’s unclear how — or if — the Wolverines can find other sources of production to compensate for Dickinson’s departure. It’s a problem Michigan understood it might have to deal with when he entered the transfer portal, but now it’s a problem that can’t be avoided.

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Graduate guard Jaelin Llewellyn is returning to the Michigan men’s basketball team after being granted a medical hardship waiver for the 2022-23 season, first reported by Maize and Blue Review on Friday.

Llewellyn sustained a season-ending ACL injury on Dec. 4 in the Wolverines’ matchup with Kentucky in London — only the eighth game of the season.

After opting to take a grad year, Llewellyn transferred from Princeton to Michigan to finish out his collegiate career. Adding to a roster that had seen substantial turnover in the offseason with players leaving for the NBA draft or transferring out of the program, Llewellyn was expected to be a veteran presence with ample experience. And while he was during his short stint, his time on the floor was cut short.

In Llewellyn’s absence, freshman guard Dug McDaniel grew to replace Llewellyn’s floor-general role, and will likely continue to see ample playing time next season. It remains to be seen whether the two will play on the floor together, with one transitioning to a more shooting guard role, or if they’ll both remain at the point guard position.

Granted a medical hardship waiver, Llewellyn will enter his sixth season of college basketball. With lots of roster turnover once again plaguing the Wolverines — after the departure of freshman guard Jett Howard and sophomore guard Kobe Bufkin to the NBA draft, and junior center Hunter Dickinson to the transfer portal — Llewellyn will once again provide the experience Michigan will desperately need.

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Last October, the Michigan men’s basketball team added a key piece to its 2023 recruiting class in four-star center Papa Kante, the No. 32 ranked recruit in the class. 

Despite the commitment, Kante has requested a release from his National Letter of Intent with Michigan. First reported by Joe Tipton of On3, Kante will open his recruitment. 

“After a lot of thought and conversations with my family, I have decided to request a release from my NLI to (the) University of Michigan,” Kante said in a Twitter statement. “Thank you to the coaching staff and Michigan fans for their interest in me. Thank you to all my supporters, friends and family for continuing to show love.”

This is a significant loss for the Wolverines, as it cuts their incoming freshman class in half and compounds the gaping hole in the frontcourt following the departure of Hunter Dickinson to the transfer portal. Kante was a likely candidate to help fill the void Dickinson left behind, alongside rising sophomore big Tarris Reed Jr.

Standing at 6-foot-10, Kante’s size and physicality have been an effective part of his game. His shot blocking and rebounding prowess would have been especially useful for Michigan due to its lack of depth at the center position. 

This past summer, Kante averaged 10.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks with the NY Renaissance at Nike’s EYBL Circuit. The Wolverines won’t be able to benefit from that balanced production though.

After losing its captain and leading scorer in Dickinson, it appeared like Kante would help fill that hole.

But that hole won’t be patched up — at least not by Kante.

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There’s one moment that sticks out from the Michigan men’s basketball team’s matchup with North Carolina four months ago. 

With just under seven minutes remaining in the first half, junior Caleb Love sat under the basket after driving in the paint and drawing contact from junior center Hunter Dickinson. Sitting on the baseline, Love and Dickinson exchanged words before Love rose to his feet to yell directly in Dickinson’s face.

Immediately, freshman guard Dug McDaniel flew in, getting between the two to defend his teammate, Dickinson. Despite being well over a foot shorter than Dickinson, McDaniel didn’t hesitate to involve himself, getting a technical foul in the process.

Looking back on that moment, there’s a lot of irony. Because now, Dickinson is in the transfer portal, his future unknown. And Caleb Love is at Michigan.

On Friday, Love committed to Michigan, first reported on his Twitter page.

go rewrite your story kid…🙏🏽〽️ pic.twitter.com/bsUglz55GW

— Caleb Love (@caleb2love) April 7, 2023

Love’s decision to hit the transfer portal didn’t come as a surprise following the Tar Heels’ perplexing season. UNC began the year as the pre-season No. 1 team in the country, but in the end failed to make the NCAA Tournament. Given that disappointment and shortcoming, it seemed likely that the Tar Heels’ players would give the transfer portal a shot. 

But Love’s decision to come to Michigan is slightly unexpected, given the skirmish the last time he faced the Wolverines with UNC. With Michigan’s numerous departures to the NBA Draft and the transfer portal, Love’s commitment could be extremely beneficial. 

Although the Tar Heels’ season was disappointing, Love’s season individually was not. In his third year, he continued to build his game, seeing a jump in his points and rebounds per game. Love led UNC’s offense, averaging 16.7 points per game. After the Wolverines lost their top three scorers this offseason, Love’s scoring is a welcome addition. 

In his freshman season, Love immediately made an impact on the court with the Tar Heels, starting 26 games and averaging double-figure points. But those stats lacked efficiency, as Love shot an underwhelming 31% from the field. Compounded with 3.1 turnovers per game, the double-digit scoring is slightly misleading. In the two years since that season, Love’s field goal percentage has slowly climbed, and his turnovers per game have shrunk. Although Love’s scoring isn’t perfect, Michigan needs a scoring boost. And given Love’s history, he can be that.

Love is the third transfer that committed to Michigan as former-Alabama guard Nimari Burnett committed a week ago and former-Seton Hall power forward Tray Jackson committed earlier today. Both Burnett and Love being guards may seem unnecessary, but given Kobe Bufkin leaving for the NBA Draft and Jaelin Llewellyn’s redshirt and injury status unknown, the two additions can be impactful besides McDaniel. 

Love’s commitment indicates that there’s no bad blood between him and McDaniel. That makes sense, because McDaniel’s reaction four months ago was him simply standing up for his teammates.

And now, Love is one of them.

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The Michigan men’s basketball team has seen plenty of exits this offseason.

With guard Kobe Bufkin and wing Jett Howard leaving for the NBA Draft, and center Hunter Dickinson in the transfer portal, the picture of the Wolverines’ upcoming lineup is unclear. 

But on Friday, they got another piece. Seton Hall graduate transfer Tray Jackson announced that he committed to Michigan, first reported by On3. 

While Michigan coach Juwan Howard has consistently dipped into the transfer portal throughout his time at the helm of the Wolverines, most of the players he finds are guards. Jackson is a power forward — a position where Michigan desperately needs an extra punch.

This isn’t the first time that Jackson has found a new team via the transfer portal. Jackson originally committed to Missouri, but averaged just 2.9 points in his freshman year, and decided to transfer to Seton Hall. 

In his first season with the Pirates, Jackson only played in three games, seeing just 14 minutes of court time. But in the two seasons that followed that, Jackson increased his role with the team. This past season, he averaged 6.5 points and 2.2 rebounds.

“I chose Michigan because It’s close to home and it means a lot for me to be able to come and play in front of my family,” Jackson said to On3, referencing his Detroit roots. “I chose Coach (Juwan) Howard because of his experience being around the game at a high level, but also the vision he has for my development on and off the court.”

Although his 6-foot-10, 215-pound size is a welcome addition with Dickinson’s departure, based on his numbers, he seems to be more of a supplement than any sort of suitable substitution. This past season at Seton Hall, Jackson averaged just 14.7 minutes  per game — 3.2 minutes fewer than the prior season. 

Michigan needs production at the power forward spot. Simple as that. 

That was the position that brought it the most trouble, and proved to be the greatest weakness. And with Dickinson gone at center, it leaves the Wolverines’ weakness even more vulnerable. 

But Jackson could provide a solution. At least, that’s what Michigan hopes for.

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Coming into the season, sophomore guard Kobe Bufkin’s name appeared on a lot of draft boards. But all of those were for the 2024 NBA Draft. 

Despite the lack of preseason interest, Bufkin’s draft stock has skyrocketed after a standout sophomore season. With that, he’s now widely predicted as a first-round pick, leading him to make the jump to the professional level.

Bufkin took the first step in that journey Sunday, entering his name in 2023 NBA Draft, forgoing his college eligibility as announced by the Michigan men’s basketball team.

Bufkin’s sophomore year was his first season as a starter, after he came off the bench in every game of his freshman season. Throughout this past offseason, many teammates and coaches anticipated an uptick in Bufkin’s production. And that’s exactly what he did. 

As his court time tripled, jumping from 10.8 minutes to 34, Bufkin proved to be a vital piece for Michigan. He averaged 14 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game. His well-rounded skill set was important for the Wolverines throughout the season. 

That skill has skyrocketed his draft stock. Before the season, Bufkin’s name was excluded almost entirely from any 2023 NBA mock drafts. Although his name was scattered across draft boards for 2024, it was widely assumed that he needed another year to round out. The improvement he showed this season — and its corresponding attention from the NBA — is likely why Bufkin elected to forgo his remaining college eligibility.

Throughout the season, Bufkin demonstrated why he is ready for the next level now. His athleticism, defensive jump and scoring prowess make him an alluring piece at the professional level.

And now, with Bufkin joining freshman guard Jett Howard in the draft and junior center Hunter Dickinson entering the transfer portal, yet another piece of Michigan’s core must be replaced.

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The Michigan men’s basketball team’s season was characterized by soaring highs and sinking lows, but throughout it, junior center Hunter Dickinson remained a constant source of production. 

But now, Dickinson is looking beyond Michigan and exploring other collegiate opportunities. On Friday, Dickinson announced his decision to enter the transfer portal, as reported by On3’s Joe Tipton and by Stadium’s Jeff Goodman. That means Dickinson can either join another program, or possibly return to the Wolverines.

The 7-foot-1 center spent three years with the Wolverines and found a key role for himself. Dickinson declared for the NBA Draft after his freshman year campaign but opted to return to Michigan. After his sophomore season, he didn’t dip his toe into the NBA waters again, choosing to return for his third year. In his third year, he once again didn’t go to the draft, but is instead choosing to explore the transfer portal.  

This past season, Dickinson put up similarly impressive numbers to his sophomore campaign, averaging 18.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.8 blocks per game. While Dickinson’s stats stayed similar to those of his sophomore year, they led the Wolverines and earned him first team All-Big Ten honors by the media. 

“Today is bittersweet,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said. “While Hunter Dickinson’s departure is unfortunate, there are so many reasons to be thankful for and celebrate. This young man has accomplished so much in his three seasons.

“Statistics aside, Hunter helped us to a Big Ten title, back-to-back Sweet 16s, as well as a memorable Elite Eight run. These are memories that will last a lifetime. What I love most is he was an Academic All-Big Ten honoree, twice. That says so much about his character and maturity. As much as I tried to instill in him, he was a guide and inspiration for me. We wish Hunter and his family all the best in the future.”

Dickinson is the third Michigan player to leave the program this offseason, with forward Jett Howard declaring for the draft and guard Isaiah Barnes entering his name in the portal as well. 

The past two years, Dickinson chose to return to Michigan and build on an accolade-filled two years to find even more success. This past season was Dickinson’s first as a team captain, but the Wolverines fell short of their goals, missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. 

Dickinson’s season ended on a sour note, losing to Vanderbilt in the second round of the NIT. With his decision to play his senior year, Dickinson likely wants a better collegiate capstone. 

But that might not be at Michigan. Instead, it will be wherever he lands as a transfer.

This story was updated March 31, 2023, at 6:19 a.m. to include comment from Michigan coach Juwan Howard.

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Juwan Howard is no stranger to the transfer portal, dipping into it each offseason of his tenure to try to recruit players to the Michigan men’s basketball team.

And on Thursday, he did exactly that. First reported by On3, former Alabama guard Nimari Burnett has committed to Michigan. 

This isn’t Burnett’s first time finding a team through the portal, though. Although he played last season with the Crimson Tide, he spent his freshman season at Texas Tech. However he played in just 12 games, averaging 5.3 points per game. When he transferred to Alabama, he saw the court more often — playing in 27 games, starting nine of them — but his minutes decreased in the process.

Despite coming in as a five-star recruit, Burnett played just 14.6 minutes per game. After the season he opted to use the transfer portal to find the right place for him. And the Wolverines have demonstrated their ability to utilize transfer players well. That’s evident in former players like DeVante’ Jones and Mike Smith, who both served as key leaders on past teams. It’s also clear from last season, with guards Joey Baker and Jaelin Llewellyn transferring in. 

Although Llewellyn missed most of the season after suffering an ACL injury, Howard integrated him with the team from the very start of the season. Baker had a similar experience, with his leadership and responsibility growing throughout the year. One difference between those players and Burnett is that Burnett is entering his junior year, not a graduate student.

With freshman wing Jett Howard declaring for the NBA Draft, Michigan could use a piece to try to add depth. While Burnett shot just 36.8 percent from beyond the arc and doesn’t supplement Jett’s shooting presence, he’s another player that can contribute scoring. Last season Burnett averaged 5.6 points and two rebounds per game, but that was behind a deep Alabama squad. 

It’s unclear how he will be used with freshman guard Dug McDaniel filling a guard spot and sophomore guard Kobe Bufkin’s future destination up in the air. Regardless, Burnett can add depth — even if that’s from coming off the bench. 

Juwan has shown the impact that the transfer portal has, and now Burnett, on his third team, can prove his own impact with the Wolverines. 

For Burnett, maybe third time’s the charm. 

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Driving nine hours all the way from Ann Arbor to College Park was a typical experience for The Michigan Daily’s men’s basketball beat. But unlike most road trips, this one was all girls — never done before when covering men’s basketball for The Daily. It was just us, the two women on the beat, and Lila, a Daily photographer.

Sitting behind the baseline at Xfinity Center we were ecstatic. We had an opportunity that few get to cover a game. Being crammed into the media seating with men we barely knew, we had each other. 

After the action ended, the arena cleared out and we headed to talk to the players and coaches. To ensure we talked to players and coaches from both teams, we had to split up.

It’s not unusual — that’s how post-game press conferences typically go. But after traveling with each other, splitting the last Chick-fil-A media meal and covering an entire game together, stepping out of our little bubble was jarring.

Even more jarring was how we were treated as the only women in each room. 

We wanted to do what we always do. We wanted to ask questions, get the quotes we needed and head back to our seats to write our stories.

That wasn’t the case. Although we stood at different spots in the arena, we both ran into the same issue. On the court, male reporters cut us off every time we tried to ask a question. In the media room, Maryland athletics staff overlooked us as if we couldn’t possibly want to ask a question. We both struggled to make our voice heard with a sea of male reporters pushing us out. 

Unfortunately for female journalists, this is the norm. Despite standing in the middle of player scrums packed so tightly we can hear each other’s breathing, the two of us stick out like a sore thumb.

It’s overwhelming. Feeling trapped between reporters who silently question how you got here as you fight to get a word in edgewise. It’s in the interruptions, the glances, in the silence of glaring expressions. It’s a lonely battle.

But we had each other to lean on as we maneuvered through the experience this season. 

Covering a male-dominated sport is extremely daunting for women. Walking through Crisler Center’s tunnel and finding a seat in the media section shouldn’t be a complicated task. Standing courtside watching warmups, live tweeting a game, talking to other journalists and interviewing players are all things every journalist does. But for us, we were the only girls doing that. And that notion seeps into everything we do.

Men rarely evaluate where they should sit when they walk in a room, but for us, those seemingly arbitrary thoughts are second nature. 

Most of the men in the room are respectful and kind, but they also don’t understand what we have to go through — and because of that there’s a sharp disconnect. 

Having each other, though, those thoughts take a back seat. 

The men’s basketball beat at The Daily has never had two women on the beat at the same time before. Most years, there’s one woman that breaks through the barrier — but she’s left to fend for herself. And that’s not to say that those women couldn’t succeed individually.

The issue is, they shouldn’t have to. 

They’re the reason that we’re where we are today. They’re the reason we showed just how much women can thrive when more of us are in the room. It gave us the confidence to ask players and coaches questions, to interact with other journalists and most importantly, to just be ourselves.

From spending 11 hours in a rented minivan traveling to Minnesota for Big Ten Media Days on a Tuesday, to driving back to Ann Arbor from Champaign Illinois in the middle of the night, we’ve grown in our confidence — and in our writing.

And that’s because of the support system we have: each other. 

When we stand courtside to watch warmups, live tweet a game, talk to other journalists and interview players together, those worries about how we’re perceived go away.

They’re not gone forever. That’s just the nature of the world we live in. But the more women we see in sports, the more comfortable we all feel. And that only happens when we’re given these opportunities. How can we be told we can’t do it if we’re never given a chance?

We took our chance and made the most of it. Spending our spring break driving all over the midwest, dedicating countless hours and resources to writing features and growing more confident in ourselves and each other is a testament to that.

More women should get the opportunity to cover men’s basketball. Years from now, when we visit The Daily, we hope that’s the case — and that it’s the norm, not the exception. We’ve grown, and we believe other women deserve that opportunity too.  

One day we’re going to walk into a player scrum — just like we did at Maryland — see other female faces in the crowd, and we’ll feel like we belong. 

Because we do.

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