1. Michigan Wolverines
Likely departures
- Yaxel Lendeborg (15.1 ppg and 6.9 rpg)
- Nimari Burnett (8.3 ppg and 2.7 rpg)
- Roddy Gayle (7.4 ppg and 3.3 rpg)
- Will Tshetter (3.6 ppg and 1.9 rpg)
Likely returnees
- Morez Johnson (13.1 ppg and 7.3 rpg)
- Elliot Cadeau (10.3 ppg and 5.9 rpg)
- Trey McKenney (9.9 ppg and 2.6 rpg)
- LJ Cason (8.4 ppg and 2.4 apg) may miss next season due to injury
Key decisions to watch
- Aday Mara (12.2 ppg and 6.8 rpg)
The national champions are going to lose a lot of talent, starting with Lendeborg, who proved to be the perfect piece to get them over the top. However, there’s also a ton returning to the team who played pivotal roles in winning the title.
That starts with Cadeau, the Final Four MVP who had 19 points to beat UConn in the title game. While he has some inconsistencies, he’s earned the right to be one of the top point guards in the country next season. McKenney will be a consensus national breakout candidate, while Johnson and Mara will be one of the best frontcourts in the country again if they’re both back.
This doesn’t even include the top-5 incoming recruiting class, led by 5-star guard prospect Brandon Boston Jr., who committed to the Wolverines this past weekend during the Final Four. Repeating is hard, but the Wolverines will have a real chance to do so next year.