NCAA Basketball: Michigan, Gonzaga among top 2021 offseason winners
4. UCLA Bruins
With the return of Johnny Juzang, who tested the NBA waters, the Bruins will have all five starters from their surprising Final Four run for the upcoming year. They did lose Chris Smith, who has foregone his remaining eligibility after playing just eight games last season.
However, Mick Cronin did get a nice coup with Rutgers transfer Myles Johnson (8.0 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 2.4 bpg). Additionally, Cronin secured consensus 2021 top-10 recruit Peyton Watson and four-star shooting guard Will McClendon.
3. Michigan Wolverines
The Wolverines are ranked No. 2 in WTE rankings after claiming their first Big Ten regular-season title since 2013-14. UM lost Franz Wagner, Isaiah Livers, and Chaundee Brown to the NBA Draft, but Hunter Dickinson and DeVante Jones have decided to return to school after “testing the waters.” Dickinson had an excellent freshman season and is a serious national player of the year candidate.
The Big Ten Rookie of the Year ranked second in the conference in field goal shooting, fourth in blocks, and seventh in rebounds. Jones, a Coastal Carolina transfer, is expected to take over the main ball-handling duties that belonged to Mike Smith a season ago. The 6’1 New Orleans native is a very good shooter and gets to the line at a 40.3% rate while also showing improved play on the defensive end.
Dickinson and Jones are expected to be joined in the starting lineup by Brandon Johns, Eli Brooks, and 5-star freshman Caleb Houstan unless senior Adrien Nunez or sophomore Zeb Jackson secures one of the guard starting spots.
While the loss of Wagner, Livers and Brown hurts the Wolverines, Juwan Howard’s incoming recruiting class is expected to take much of the sting away. For the first time in Howard’s tenure, UM has the nation’s top recruiting class, led by Houstan and fellow 5-star recruit Moussa Diabate. Six-foot-four combo guard Kobe Bufkin and 6-1 point guard Frankie Collins should also see plenty of time on the court.
Six-foot-six wing Isaiah Barnes, another 4-star recruit, also should make an immediate impact. The Wolverines also have the top recruiting class per ESPN and Rivals have them ranked at No. 2.