The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1499505
26 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2023 2023 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY CHRIS BALAS T o say college basketball has changed a bit in recent years would be one of the under- statements of the decade, to date. With name, image and likeness (NIL) now taking center stage, and the transfer portal (and one-year transfer without having to sit out a year) open for business, it's rare to see a team re- turn fully intact from one year to the next. Some teams, though, get hit harder than others, especially those that know how to develop young players. Such is the case at Michigan, where sophomore Kobe Bufkin and freshman Jett Howard are projected to be first-round picks af- ter declaring for the NBA Draft, while All-Big Ten center Hunter Dickinson left for Kansas after three years, re- portedly receiving a large NIL financial guarantee. In addition, sophomore wing Isaiah Barnes opted to hit the transfer portal, as well, leaving the Wolverines another spot to fill, while wing Joey Baker opted to start his pro career rather than apply for a sixth year of eligibility. Rather than sit and feel sorry for themselves, Juwan Howard and his Michigan coaching staff quickly got back to work. They landed three vet- eran players from the transfer portal — Alabama wing Nimari Burnett, Seton Hall stretch forward Tray Jackson and North Carolina (and former five-star recruit) guard Caleb Love — and were still searching for more to fill the roster as of May 12. Though the U-M coaches couldn't talk about the new additions until they were officially signed, associate head coach Phil Martelli provided insight into the staff's mindset in the ever-evolving worlds of college basketball. "I think you could spend time com- plaining about it, or you can navigate it. To me, that's what we're trying to do," Martelli said. "We've moved into a transactional world from a relation- ship-driven world. I always thought re- cruiting was relationship driven. Now, it's, 'What can we do for you, what can you do for us?' And then we'll revisit it in a year. "So, it is what it is. If you take a step back, you see the collision between im- mediate eligibility, NIL and the COVID year … how it's changed college basket- ball, and it's changed how you make up your team, how you run your program. It certainly doesn't feel the same. I think as we come out in the wash so to speak, we're going to find out who it benefits." To be clear, he said, he doesn't be- grudge the student-athlete from trying to profit on their name, image and like- ROUNDBALL RESET Attrition Means Michigan Basketball Will Have A Much Different Look In 2023-24 Head coach Juwan Howard is bringing in George Washington III of Dayton (Ohio) Chaminade Julienne Catholic, the Gatorade Player of the Year in Ohio, plus three veterans from the transfer portal — and maybe more. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY