Alabama transfer Sam Walters visits Michigan on Sunday
Alabama Crimson Tide transfer power forward Sam Walters visits the Michigan Wolverines on Sunday, per On3’s Joe Tipton.
Sam Walters entered the Transfer Portal on April 16th, just over a week after the Crimson Tide’s season and a deep run in the NCAA Tournament came to an end. That capped off a strong freshman season for Walters at Alabama.
In that freshman season, Walters played in 37 games while averaging 12.3 minutes per game. In that time, he averaged 5.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game. He shot 42.7 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from three-point range.
Sam Walters played his high school basketball at the Villages Charter School in Florida. There, he was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2023, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He was also the 10th-ranked power forward and the 69th-ranked player overall in that class.
The 2023-24 season was a historic one for Alabama. The Crimson Tide made it to the Final Four for the first time in program history before losing to the eventual national champions, UConn. Amid that run, Sam Walters came off the bench to help the Crimson Tide, giving him some excellent experience moving forward.
On the other side, Michigan is coming off a very frustrating season. The Wolverines went just 8-24 and fired head coach Juwan Howard. That came after he previously took the program to the Elite Eight and the Sweet Sixteen.
In his place, Michigan hired Dusty May away from FAU. While there, May took FAU to the Final Four in 2023 and it looks like he will use the Transfer Portal to try and rebuild the Michigan roster.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.
Michigan and the Transfer Portal
The Transfer Portal opened for men’s basketball on March 18th, the day following Selection Sunday. Meanwhile, Michigan moved on from Juwan Howard just three days before the portal opened. It wouldn’t be until March 23rd that Michigan hired Dusty May, with FAU once again making the NCAA Tournament.
Amid that change, it’s not overly surprising that Michigan has been one of the most active programs in the Transfer Portal, with players coming in and out of the program.
In total, five Wolverines hit the Transfer Portal. That included big names like Dug McDaniel and Tarris Reed. However, one player who entered the portal, George Washington III, withdrew from the portal after May took the job.
On top of that, there are plenty of transfers already committed to Dusty May and Michigan. That includes Danny Wolf from Yale and Rubin Jones from North Texas.