The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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64 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MAY 2025 ❱ MICHIGAN IN THE PROS minutes — putting up 3 points, 2 re- bounds, 1 assist and 1 block — in a Game 1 loss to the Boston Celtics April 20. • Jett Howard (2022-23), G, Or- lando Magic: Saw time in 60 contests, averaging 4.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in 11.7 minutes … Shot 37.4 percent overall and 29.6 from beyond the three-point line. • Caris LeVert (2012-16), G/F, At- lanta Hawks: Averaged 14.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in 26 appearances for the Hawks, after being traded from the Cleveland Cavaliers … Shot 33.8 percent from three-point range and 48.2 percent overall … The Hawks finished 40-42 and lost in overtime to the Miami Heat in the final play-in game April 18 to miss the playoffs. • Jordan Poole (2017-19), G, Wash- ington Wizards: Led the 18-64 Wiz- ards with 20.5 points and 4.5 assists per game, adding 3 rebounds and 1.3 steals a contest … Shot 43.2 percent from the field and a career-best 37.8 percent from three-point range. • Duncan Robinson (2014-18), F, Miami Heat: Competed in 74 games with 37 starts for the 37-45 Heat, who earned the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs … Tallied 11 points, 2.4 assists and 2.3 rebounds per night, while connecting on 43.7 percent of his field goals and 39.3 percent of his threes … Miami trails the Cleveland Cavaliers, 0-1, in the first-round series … Robinson scored 8 points in 15 minutes in a Game 1 setback. • Franz Wagner (2019-21), F, Or- lando Magic: Finished second on the team with 24.2 points and 4.7 assists per game, appearing in 60 outings with as many starts … Also added 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals on average, while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 29.5 per- cent from three-point range … In a Game 1 loss to the Boston Celtics, he registered 23 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds, 2 blocks and 1 steal. • Moritz Wagner (2015-18), C, Or- lando Magic: Saw action in 30 games with one start, averaging a career-high 12.9 points per game on 56.2 percent shooting from the floor prior to suffering a season-ending ACL injury in December. FORMER WOLVERINES IN THE NHL: FIVE STARS OF THE MONTH Through April 20 • Kyle Connor (played at U-M from 2015-16), LW, Winnipeg Jets: With the playoff-opening game between Win- nipeg and the St. Louis Blues tied 3-3, Connor lit the lamp with a one-timer on a pass from center Mark Scheifele with 1:36 remaining in the third period. The Jets added an empty-net goal to win, 5-3, on April 19. "AlI I want to do is put the puck in his hands, and he does some fantastic things," Scheifele said afterward. "I'm lucky to play with him." In the regular season, Connor posted career bests in points (97), goals (41) and assists (56) in his ninth season in the NHL. • Adam Fantilli (2022-23), C, Co- lumbus Blue Jackets: The No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 draft "has blossomed, under less-than-ideal circumstances, into a two-way force" in the league, ac- cording to The Athletic's Aaron Portz- line. Fantilli appeared in all 82 regular- season games for the 40-33-9 Blue Jackets, who just missed the postsea- son. He recorded 31 goals (tied for 10th in franchise history for a single season) and 23 assists in his second season as a professional. Fantilli was picked behind Connor Be- dard and Leo Carlsson in 2023, and he's the first of the trio to reach the 30-goal mark in a season. • Luke Hughes (2021-23), D, New Jersey Devils: He had a productive sec- ond full season in the NHL, recording 44 points (7 goals, 37 assists) and im- proving his on-ice plus-minus from mi- nus-26 to minus-9. He's ready to help contribute during the playoffs for the 42-33-7 Devils, who went down 0-1 in the first-round series with the Carolina Hurricanes. "I have grown my defensive game and all-around game," Hughes said, accord- ing to The Hockey News. "I think it has gotten a lot better. That is what happens. Every year, you try to get better and bet- ter. For me, from Year 1 to Year 2, I am a different player, just like my brothers. From Year 1 to Year 6, they are different players. I think you try to grow and get better every year." • Quinn Hughes (2017-19), D, Vancouver Canucks: He ranked sec- ond among NHL defensemen with 1.118 points per game — notching 16 goals and 60 assists to total 76 points in 68 outings for the 38-30 Canucks. • Zach Werenski (2014-16), D, Co- lumbus Blue Jackets: He ranked sec- ond among the league's defensemen with 82 points — 23 goals and 59 assists — in 2024-25. According to Vegas Insider, he has the second-best odds (+580) to win the James Norris Trophy for the league's top defender, behind only Colorado's Cale Makar (-1800). ❑ Kent Johnson • NHL The Columbus Blue Jackets forward heated up toward the end of the season with a five-game point streak that included 2 goals and 5 assists from April 8 to April 15. He posted 24 goals and 33 assists for 57 points on the season, a career best by 17 points (40 in 2022-23). Brandon Johns Jr. • Basketligan The former Michigan forward is a key piece for his Swedish professional team, BC Lulea, and he had a standout performance in Game 5 of the league's quarterfinals April 15. Johns posted 23 points and 6 rebounds in a 22-point victory to help his team advance to the semifinals. Aidan Hutchinson • NFL The Detroit Lions defensive end is nearing the end of his rehabilitation from a season-ending leg injury (broken tibia and fibula) last October. Appearing on the "Thursday At The Masters" podcast while at Augusta National in mid-April, Hutchin- son said he was going to have his "last evaluation tests" when he returned to Detroit, ending a "long process." — Clayton Sayfie HEADLINERS Former Michigan athletes in the news this month