The Michigan men’s basketball roster is nearing completion following the program’s announcement of several signings from the freshman class and the transfer portal this week.
While Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. could still hypothetically return, that seems doubtful now given the quantity of incoming transfers. At this moment, a reasonable prognosticator would have Michigan starting Elliot Cadeau at point guard, Trey McKenney at shooting guard, J.P. Estrella at power forward and Moustapha Thiam at center.
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So who will start along side them at small forward?
Let’s start with the remaining elephant in the room — Juke Harris. Dusty May and company had been pursuing the Wake Forest transfer heavily, as he was the nearest replacement for Yaxel Lendeborg. Harris was in Ann Arbor for the national championship celebration and many thought a commitment was imminent. Since then, his recruitment has slowed down dramatically.
Harris seems likely to wait to make a decision until after he goes through the NBA process. It’s likely he will return to college, but the Tennessee Volunteers have put the full-court press on Harris. Tennessee is now the heavy favorite to land his services, so it seems unlikely Harris will start at small forward for Michigan.
In the absence of any rumors surrounding more portal targets, let’s focus our attention inward. The current roster contains an unproven wing in Ricky Liburd. The 6-foot-4 wing out of Hollywood, California redshirted this past season after flying under the radar in the recruiting process. May identified him late in the process and flipped him to Michigan. While he didn’t make an appearance this past season, internal chatter seems to suggest May could have found a hidden gem in Liburd.
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Looking at the newcomers, Michigan brought in Jalen Reed (LSU) and J.P. Estrella (Tennessee). While both play the 4 primarily, they are each 6-foot-10 or taller. While May enjoyed utilizing a huge lineup this past season, neither Estrella or Reed are as versatile as Lendeborg and would struggle to play the 3.
The incoming freshman class contains a few more options. Brandon McCoy Jr. (No. 14 overall recruit) is the highest rated of the bunch but is a guard at heart. He will most likely primarily back up Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney at guard, but could certainly play the 3 in a pinch. Standing at 6-foot-5 with a huge wingspan, McCoy has the physical tools to make it work, he just may be needed more in a ball-handling role.
Joseph Hartman (No. 95) and Malachi Brown (No. 169) could contribute at the 3. While neither are incredibly highly-rated recruits, they fit the physical profile of a Big Ten small forward. Quinn Costello (No. 44) is another freshman option. He is a lanky 6-foot-10 and is more of a stretch 4, but he is an excellent shooter and can handle the ball effectively despite his size. The staff seems very enthused about his potential, so it would be a surprise to see him play early and often; it’s just a matter of which position he’ll play.
In totality, May has tons of options, though a majority are unproven. This could be a case where May has to wait until practice starts to see what he has. Young players are much easier to evaluate once you have them on campus competing against the grizzled veterans.
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At this point in time, I believe that Liburd, McCoy and Costello seem like the best bets to play the most minutes at the 3.
Who do you think will be the starter at the 3 in the season opener? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
