For the first time in 37 years, a basketball national championship is returning to Ann Arbor. And while fans will be able to enjoy this moment for a lifetime, head coach Dusty May was able to celebrate for less than 30 minutes before the transfer portal opened up at 12 a.m. ET.
The transfer portal officially opened Tuesday, April 7, for a 15-day window, running through April 21. College sports are now on a 365-day clock, so May and his staff must work quickly to secure commitments, just as he did last year to build the national championship team we saw Monday night.
Internally, Michigan has already received confirmation that guards Trey McKenney and Elliot Cadeau will return next season. But outside of that, the Wolverines are potentially losing six of its eight players that have seen meaningful playing time this season.
Will Tschetter, Nimari Burnett, Roddy Gayle Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg are out of college eligibility; Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. both could test the NBA waters since they are both projected to go in the first round, although they do have eligibility if they wish to return.
That leaves Oscar Goodman, who could take a big jump into a consistent reserve role next season, along with Malick Kordel and Winters Grady to round out the five players on scholarship who are intending on returning (for now). May was very aggressive in the high school recruiting circuit this season, growing the high school class to six committed players that ranks No. 2 overall on the 247Sports composite.
However, with only a few freshmen making an immediate impact in the current landscape of college basketball, May is fully expected to go after some of the biggest names in the portal, looking to build a roster that can match the 2025-26 squad.
Here is our ranking of the positions of need for Michigan in the transfer portal:
The center position in May’s system has become the most vital role for a successful team under him, and with the looming loss of Mara to the NBA Draft, you can bet the coaching staff is working on getting a big name with a big frame out of the portal that can start right away.
May has said in recent weeks the biggest thing he looks for in a starting center is their passing ability, if that gives you any clues as to who he may target. After success stories of Danny Wolf, Vlad Goldin and Mara, it should be an easy pitch for Michigan to get a high-quality center. Some rumored names early on include Kansas’ Flory Bidunga, Providence’s Oswin Erhunmwunse, San Diego State’s Magoon Gwath and Alabama’s Aiden Sherrell.
Power forward is just as important for Michigan to attack in the transfer portal. Outside of Goodman, the Wolverines have no returning forwards that will see meaningful time if the season started tomorrow. May did receive a commitment from four-star Quinn Costello, who has the skillset to get action right away, but he will need to show a lot in fall camp to potentially start next season.
There are a plethora of options in the portal, led by Saint Mary’s forward Paulius Murauskas, Seton Hall big man Najai Hines, Oregon junior Kwame Evans Jr. and Belmont’s Drew Scharnowski, just to name a few. Expect May to go after this position hard.
Shooting guard is not as much of a pressing need, as McKenney will be expected to start there alongside Cadeau, but Michigan could really use a veteran at the position to replace Burnett, Gayle and L.J. Cason, with the latter expected to miss all of next year with his torn ACL. This is the one position May did not recruit in the high school circuit, however, five-star Brandon McCoy Jr. could easily play the position as well.
The biggest name out of the portal to watch is John Blackwell, who is originally from Highland Park, Michigan. According to On3’s Jamie Shaw, Michigan could be in the mix. If the Wolverines do not pursue Blackwell, Colorado’s Isaiah Johnson could also be an option.
Michigan does also have sharpshooter Winters Grady on the roster, but he was injured for most of the season and it is uncertain what his timeline is for returning to the court.
Small forward could be a sneaky position May heavily goes in on in the portal, mainly due to the lack of size his current team has. Gayle and Burnett played a hybrid 2/3 role for Michigan this past season, and Lendeborg was able to play at the small and power forward spots, depending on the matchup. With the loss of all three players, May will have big shoes to fill with the guys he brings in.
The reason small forward is not higher on the need list is, in part, because of the freshman class. As previously stated, the Wolverines recruited four-star small forward Lincoln Cosby (No. 45) and three-star small forward Malachi Brown (No. 169), with many believing Cosby could play right away. However, he reclassified one year above, meaning he will likely be raw when he arrives in Ann Arbor.
At the top of the On3 small forward rankings sits Notre Dame’s Jalen Haralson, Kentucky’s Mouhamed Dioubate and Ballermine’s Jack Karasinski (Grand Rapids native). San Diego State’s Miles Byrd is another option.
Finally, we get to the point guard position that should be the last position of need for Michigan. With commitments from McCoy and four-star guard Joseph Hartman (No. 95), plus the expected return of Cadeau and McKenney, the Wolverines shouldn’t feel obligated to add to the position with an already crowded position group.
What position do you think is the top priority in the portal this offseason? Let us know what you think down in the comments section below!
You can get all up-to-date information at Maize n Brew’s transfer portal tracker HERE!
