When Morez Johnson Jr. was debating on entering the 2026 NBA Draft, the thought was that he could potentially be a late first-round pick. And if that was the case, it felt like he could return to Michigan basketball for yet another season. However, after declaring, his stock started to climb and climb, and it cast doubt on whether or not he would come back to Ann Arbor.
And then he had a stellar NBA combine.
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On Tuesday, we officially got the answer. According to ESPN college basketball insider Jeff Borzello, Johnson will remain in the NBA draft, thus officially ending his college career.
Johnson was only in college for two years — one at Illinois and another in Ann Arbor. After being a bench player with the Illini, he transferred to Michigan and thrived under head coach Dusty May. He averaged 13.1 points per game and 7.3 rebounds, nearly doubling his point output from his freshman campaign.
While somewhat of a streaky player at times, he’s capable of being dominant offensively and lockdown defensively — though he had some lapses, particularly late in the season.
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The hope had been that Johnson would return, and he could be a centerpiece for next year’s team. However, with the growing likelihood he’ll be just outside of the draft lottery in terms of where he’s picked, he’s gambling on himself and is likely to win.
This article originally appeared on Wolverines Wire: Morez Johnson Jr. stays in NBA draft, leaves Michigan
