Michigan basketball reaches out to Pittsburgh center transfer John Hugley IV
Michigan Wolverines basketball made contact with former Pittsburgh Panthers center John Hugley IV, who entered the transfer portal March 14, according to On3’s Joe Tipton. The Maize and Blue are one of many schools to get involved in his recruitment, with Oregon, Miami, Rutgers, Xavier, Maryland, Arkansas, Wisconsin being some of the other notable programs to reach out.
A 6-foot-9, 265-pounder, Hugley has two years of eligibility remaining, but he’s seeking a redshirt waiver for this season. If it’s granted, he’ll have three more years of college basketball.
He played parts of three seasons at Pittsburgh, earning an honorable mention All-ACC nod in 2021-22 (2020-21 did not count against his eligibility). Hugley suffered a knee injury in practice at the beginning of the season, played in eight games — averaging 8 points and 3.6 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per contest — but decided to shut things down in mid-January to rehab his “mental and physical health.”
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Michigan head coach Juwan Howard and his staff got to see Hugley in person back in November, when the Wolverines and Panthers squared off in the Legends Classic in Brooklyn. In a 91-60 Michigan win over Pittsburgh, Hugley posted 9 points on 2-of-6 shooting from the field, 4-of-6 from the free throw line with 1 rebound and 1 turnover.
Hugley averaged 14.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in 2021-22, shooting 51.6 percent on twos and 16.7 percent (7-of-42) on threes.
A back-to-the-basket big man, Hugley posted up on 55.9 percent of his possessions that season, producing 0.966 points per possession, which ranks in the 69th percentile in the country, per Synergy.
According to On3, Hugley is the fifth-best player in the transfer portal, and the fourth-best among uncommitted prospects. He ranks second among big men. The Cleveland (Ohio) Brush product was a four-star recruit and the No. 89 overall player in the 2020 class out of high school, per the On3 Industry Ranking.
Michigan has spoken with another center in Wofford’s B.J. Mack, but he can (and does) also play power forward. The Wolverines have two centers with eligibility remaining — junior Hunter Dickinson and freshman Tarris Reed Jr. — and it’s unclear if Howard contacting Hugley means at least one may depart the program after this season. Dickinson has flirted with the NBA in the past, stated his intentions to graduate in three years and didn’t give a firm answer on his future plans back in February.
It’s also not clear how serious Michigan’s interest in Hugley is. It does appear, however, that the Wolverines have strong affinity for Mack, having met with him virtually this week.
Stay tuned for more Michigan basketball coverage, including on the transfer portal, in the days and weeks to come.
