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Michigan basketball lands Illinois' Morez Johnson from the transfer portal

Chris Balasby: Chris Balas04/01/25Balas_Wolverine
Former Illinois forward Morez Johnson is headed to Michigan. Morez Johnson / Photo credit: Illinois MBB/X
Former Illinois forward Morez Johnson is headed to Michigan. Morez Johnson / Photo credit: Illinois MBB/X

Michigan basketball’s busy offseason continued Tuesday with another addition from the transfer portal, this time a Big Ten defector in Illinois’ Morez Johnson. Johnson, a sophomore-to-be, averaged 7.0 points, set a freshman field-goal percentage record at 64.2%, along with 6.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks over 30 appearances

MOREZ JOHNSON TO MICHIGAN

Per the latest in On3’s 2025 Top Transfer Portal Players, Johnson is the No. 26 transfer overall and at No. 15 of those still available in the portal. He’s also the No. 8 PF with him being at No. 5 of those still uncommitted at the position.

Johnson had been committed to Illinois since his freshman year in high school, but there were rumblings he wanted to be more than what head coach Brad Underwood envisioned his first year — specifically, a “[board] crasher and a dunker.” There were rumors of a falling out

“As Big Ten Network analyst and former Illini guard Stephen Bardo told Illinois on SI barely a week into the season, ‘I’ve seen Johnson shoot it in practice – he can shoot the three. I don’t know that Brad’s allowing him to shoot it right now, but he has the ability to do so,'” they wrote.

Riverdale, Illinois native, was the top-rated signee in the last recruiting class for Illinois. He was the No. 28 overall recruit as a four-star prospect at Thornton Township. He also rated as the No. 5 PF in the class and the top player out of the state. That’s according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, for 2024. 



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