Michigan basketball makes top five for Harvard transfer
According to national insider Adam Zagoria, Michigan basketball has made the final five schools for Harvard transfer forward Chris Ledlum. Michigan is on the list with Iowa, Indiana, Tennessee and St. John’s.
The On3 Transfer Portal rankings list Ledlum as the No. 26 prospect available and a four-star prospect. He would have at least one year of eligibility remaining. He will have a Zoom meeting with the Michigan coaching staff on Tuesday.
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Ledlum was a unanimous First-Team All-Ivy League selection this season, averaging 18.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks per contest while shooting 47.3% from the field. A concern is that he is a 29.4% three-point shooter, which would not do much to space the floor effectively for the Wolverines. But he scored 20 points or more 10 times this season and is a more than adept rebounder, so perhaps he could fit as a potential 4-man in Michigan’s offense. The Wolverines need more offense at forward in any capacity, so this is a fit.
The Wolverines have three scholarships open for next season after the departures of freshman wing Jett Howard (NBA Draft), sophomore guard Kobe Bufkin (NBA Draft), junior center Hunter Dickinson and sophomore guard Isaiah Barnes (transfer portal) and the addition of Nimari Burnett. They could look to bring back veteran guard Jaelin Llewellyn and wing Joey Baker for sixth collegiate seasons. Plenty of options are on the table for a group facing a complete and total roster overhaul heading into the fifth season on the job for head coach Juwan Howard.
The Wolverines have been putting feelers out in the transfer portal since the season ended, reaching out also to Wofford forward/center B.J. Mack, Pittsburgh center John Hugley IV, Virginia center Kadin Shedrick, Indiana wing Tamar Bates, St John’s wing AJ Storr and others. Michigan recently made the top 10 for Mack along with Arkansas, Butler, Florida, Iowa, LSU, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Vanderbilt, and Xavier.
Whatever happens, Michigan knows it needs to get better across the board this offseason. The Wolverines missed the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015 and had a frustrating 18-16 campaign. The work starts with Howard.
“This summer, including me, we all have to get better,” Howard told reporters after the NIT. “We have to get better on all levels when it comes to what we want to do to help serve our team to give us the best chance.”
