Jaelin Llewellyn has already impressed his Michigan teammates, coaches
Mike Smith, DeVante’ Jones, and now … welcome, Jaelin Llewellyn. Michigan head coach Juwan Howard might not have planned on searching the transfer portal for his starting point guards in 3 of his first 4 years in Ann Arbor, but that’s how it worked out after Zavier Simpson graduated after year one.
RELATED
• One Michigan basketball freshman is ready to play now: ‘Grab your seatbelts and strap in’
• Hunter Dickinson: Michigan has ‘done a better job’ of embracing NIL, still ‘room to grow’
He’s not apologetic for it; nor should he be. With the immediate eligibility rule in effect and the unpredictability of college athletes (see: Frankie Collins, who unexpectedly left Michigan for Arizona State after last season), it only makes sense to bolster the roster any way possible.
“It seems like there’s a trend with the program,” Howard said at Big Ten Media Day Oct. 12. “But it’s all about the timing of how it all works as far as what we needed at that position, and then the scholarships that we have available.”
Smith, a transfer from Ivy League Columbia, helped lead Michigan to a Big Ten title and Elite 8 run in the 2020-21 season, just a hair short of the Final Four. Coastal Carolina transfer Jones had his moments last year while playing through some injuries, averaging 10.3 points and 4.6 assists per game.
Llewellyn, a Mississauga (Ontario, Can.) native, was an All-Ivy League, first team selection last season after averaging 15.7 points per game, fifth overall in the conference. He’s fit in well with his Michigan teammates, having hit the ground running.
“I think it’s been a smooth transition,” Llewellyn said. “I’ve played a lot of college basketball and it’s basically just trying to get the flow of the offense and figure out how to jell with the guys on the team. I think it’s been pretty smooth so far.”
They would agree.
“I think Jaelin has been a real down to earth guy,” Michigan junior center Hunter Dickinson said. “From his visit, I feel like it was somebody that I think we could jell well with … somebody that is just down to earth and really approachable.
“He’s somebody I really enjoy hanging out with off the court. I think that’s something that’s really big. Hanging out off the court with him makes it easier to play on the court with him.”
He’s also very good on the court, though there are some areas for improvement. Per advanced metrics sites, he made 55.1 of his shots at the rim, putting him in only 23rd percentile in college basketball last year (though that was higher at home, at 63.4 and in the 56th percentile).
He made 38.9 percent of his mid-range twos (67th percentile) and even better at home at 54.5 percent (98th percentile), though he didn’t take many.
His 3-ball, meanwhile, improved each year. He shot 38.6 from long range last year and 69.6 from the line.
“I think with Jaelin, people are going to be very happy with his perimeter shooting. He’s got a nice stroke, quick stroke,” assistant Phil Martelli said in September. “The point guard here is asked to do a lot — we run intricate offenses. With Jaelin, there’s a maturity.”
And the expectation that he’ll keep the Michigan point guard play at a high level in 2022-23.
