Michigan basketball transfer portal pursuits went smoothly after outstanding first season under Dusty May

The 2024-25 Michigan Wolverines basketball season ended with a loss to Auburn in the Sweet 16 in Atlanta March 28. The next day, assistant coach Akeem Miskdeen flew to Chicago to meet with Illinois forward transfer Morez Johnson Jr. while other staff members visited with North Carolina point guard transfer Elliot Cadeau, who actually came to Atlanta to see head coach Dusty May and Co.

Michigan had interest in replenishing its roster — especially adding to the front court, knowing Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin were departing — but that was reciproated from transfers who saw how successful the Maize and Blue were in their first year under May. The coach’s run to the 2023 Final Four with Florida Atlantic couldn’t have hurt, either.

Even though Michigan had to wait until May 27 for UAB forward transfer Yaxel Lendeborg to make a final decision on heading to the NBA or coming back to college, the transfer class was all wrapped up by April 11 — 14 days after the conclusion of the season.

“Last year, I think there were a lot of questions for us coming in, and players, parents, agents weren’t quite sure yet how this coaching staff would be, how this team would be,” Michigan assistant Drew Williamson said on the ‘Defend The Block’ podcast with host Brian Boesch. “And now you go out and have some success the first year, and everybody’s kinda like, ‘OK, well, that translated from what we thought it would be.’ That makes it a little bit easier.”

Look no further than the front court reinforcements Michigan brought in. Lendeborg is the No. 1 transfer in the portal, and both Johnson and UCLA center transfer Aday Mara showed tons of promise in the Big Ten last season.

The Wolverines used Wolf and Goldin in unique ways — playing them together isn’t something every coach would do — and it paid off. Now, forwards and centers are lining up to play for Michigan.

“You start to attract players that want to play the same style that you’re playing,” Williamson noted.

“You look at the season that Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin had, and if you’re a big man in high school or a big man anywhere around the country, you’re kinda like, ‘Hey, man, that’s a unique way that they used their bigs, so that’s a place that makes sense to me.’”

The same goes for Cadeau and the overall system Michigan runs. The point guard is used to playing fast on offense at North Carolina, and the Wolverines will be able to push the tempo with him handling the ball next season (and potentially for the 2026-27 season, too).

It’s still a challenge to work quickly and pick up the right pieces in the transfer portal, plus pairing them with the right returners and freshman talent is difficult. But Michigan has a loaded roster on paper heading into 2025-26.

“Getting to the finish line with any recruit is extremely hard,” Williamson pointed out. “But I thought we had some really good practice last year, needing 10, 11 guys in a two- or three-week span. And then this year not needing as many, so we were kinda able to focus in and zero in on a few guys. 

“The relationships you build over a course of time, you kinda build trust through other people that are surrounding these kids.”

June 16 is the date that the Michigan basketball program is looking forward to. While the entire team may not be together — Johnson and sophomore guard L.J. Cason are trying out for Team USA ahead of the U19 World Cup — the Wolverines will begin their summer cycle in the middle of next month.

With four scholarship players coming back, all of whom played key roles last season, Michigan is set up to be ahead of schedule compared to where it was last season. Cason, graduate guards Nimari Burnett and Roddy Gayle Jr. and redshirt senior forward Will Tschetter will all provide leadership and make the transition process smoother for the newcomers.

“The biggest part will be over the summer, because you’re limited with the amount of hours you can be with the guys,” Williamson said of Michigan’s continuity. “You have the eight hours a week. 

“To be able to have four guys who know exactly how Coach wants things to operate, it helps out. Even our managers — having them around for a year, now they can go do a workout for us with us not being in. That’s the biggest piece.

“Last year was just Vlad. Vlad was the only one that kinda knew how things operated, how we wanted it to go. He did a great job, but now to have four voices in that locker room when we’re not in there easily makes things a better adjustment for us.”