Big Ten Basketball: Updated 2021-22 preseason rankings after NBA Draft decisions

Essentially the entire Wolverines rotation from this past season had to make big decisions, either with the NBA Draft or to take the extra year of eligibility after their traditional season year. In the end, Mike Smith, Chaundee Brown, and Isaiah Livers decided to graduate and move on, while sophomore wing Franz Wagner opted to stay in the NBA Draft as a projected lottery pick.

But the best player from last season was Hunter Dickinson, a freshman All-American center that led the team with 14.1 ppg and 7.1 rpg. He entered the draft but decided to come back, as well as Devante Jones, a transfer guard from Coastal Carolina. The Sun Belt Player of the Year averaged 19.3 ppg and 7.2 rpg and along with 5th year senior Eli Brooks will give Michigan one of the best backcourts in the country.

Even after losing so much production, it helps immensely that this team has the No. 1 incoming recruiting class, led by top-10 overall prospect Caleb Houstan, along with another five-star frontcourt recruit in Moussa Diabate. Four-star guards Frankie Collins, Kobe Bufkin, and Isaiah Barnes adds some depth, while Brandon Johns will get more minutes after being a revelation off the bench last season.

With Dickinson back and likely the man the beat for Big Ten Basketball Player of the Year, Michigan has to love where they’re at heading into the season. And while there will be some youth in the upcoming rotation, head coach Juwan Howard and the coaching staff deserves the benefit of the doubt when it comes to developing future stars. If Houstan and Diabate can do anything near what Dickinson did as freshmen, the Wolverines will be a conference and even national team to beat.