11. Michigan Wolverines
The Wolverines cut down the nets as national champions not two months ago. Dusty May, his staff, and this program likely are still reveling in those unforgettable moments, but let’s not forget what made this possible. Michigan probably had the best offseason of any team last year, adding Elliot Cadeau, Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, and Morez Johnson from the transfer portal. All but Cadeau are gone, leaving holes to fill for May and you bet he and his coaches didn’t miss the mark once again.
In actuality, the Wolverines could’ve been higher ranked on our list but they only needed to add three names from the portal. With so much returning talent in the backcourt, all three additions are phenomenal bigs. May and his team have really struck gold with the frontcourt pieces they’ve added in the portal these last few seasons and 7-2 center Moustapha Thiam from Cincinnati is clearly the next big thing after putting up 12.8 points and 7.1 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
The other two names are both prominent forwards from SEC schools and players who like Thiam have showcased their talents and are ready to win big with the Wolverines. The work that J. P. Estrella put in at Tennessee was outstanding as a double-digit scorer and solid defender and his 6-11 size doesn’t hurt. There’s also Jalen Reed, a very solid part of the equation at LSU who slides into a prominent role in the Michigan frontcourt.
We’re not saying that May can’t grab transfer guards, he just didn’t need to focus Michigan’s resources with Cadeau and a few other young pieces returning next season. Instead, he did what he’s done in each of his three offseason in Ann Arbor by grabbing a promising 7-footer and significant depth in the frontcourt. Every season and every group of players is different but it won’t be surprising to hear people mention the possibility of a repeat with how these three have looked in their careers elsewhere.
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