NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga, Houston lead in updated way-too-early top 25 ranking
By Joey Loose
18. Michigan
Had this article been published a few weeks ago, Michigan would likely have been among the top 10, or at least significantly higher on the list. Last year’s squad was just 19-15 but marched to the Sweet Sixteen after a pair of NCAA Tournament upsets. Unfortunately, the Wolverines recently got some bad news, losing two of their freshmen phenoms to the NBA Draft.
Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate are both gone, but star center Hunter Dickinson is back, hoping to build on a fantastic sophomore year where he averaged 18.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Michigan has boosted the rotation with a high-impact transfer, getting former Princeton guard Jaelin Llewellyn (15.7 ppg last year). Throw in the expected step forward for players like Kobe Bufkin and Terrance Williams and Michigan could be great again next season.
This team would have been in fantastic shape had those two freshman studs come back for another year. Instead, Juwan Howard might be on the lookout for a few more role players out on the Transfer Portal to fill those holes. The Wolverines proved last year that they can make an impact in the postseason, even with a young or unheralded roster. This time, Dickinson already has the attention of the nation and could be one of the best players in the Big Ten, let alone the entire country.