Published Jul 6, 2021
By The Numbers: What To Know About Michigan Basketball's Roster
Clayton Sayfie  •  Maize&BlueReview
Staff Writer
Twitter
@CSayf23

Michigan basketball's 2021-22 roster is set now that freshman center Hunter Dickinson and incoming transfer guard DeVante' Jones (Coastal Carolina) have withdrawn their names from the 2021 NBA Draft.

Here are some key stats and figures to know about the Wolverines' roster.

RELATED: Here's Why Hunter Dickinson Chose To Return To Michigan

RELATED: Michigan Wolverines Basketball Podcast: Tom Crawford With John Borton

Advertisement

No. 1-Ranked recruiting class in the country is on campus in Ann Arbor as we speak, with five-star guard/forward Caleb Houstan being the lone exception — he is participating with Team Canada in the U19 FIBA World Cup. The other five members of the six-man class are four-star guards Frankie Collins and Kobe Bufkin, five-star forward Moussa Diabate, four-star guard/forward Isaiah Barnes and three-star forward Will Tschetter. Voluntary workouts are underway, and the class appears to be acquitting itself nicely, with TheWolverine.com's Chris Balas providing an update this morning with the latest intel.

3 Is the magic number for fifth-year senior guard Eli Brooks to tie the all-time mark for most career wins at Michigan. Brooks, who began his career in 2017, holds a 105-32 record as a Wolverine and should set the new record for most wins early on in this coming season. Former teammates Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske (2016-20) currently have the title of the most winningest players in program history with 108 triumphs.

3rd-Best team in the country is where Michigan checks in on Bart Torvik's preseason projections. Based on last year's schedule, the metric projects the Wolverines to go 18-7 overall and 14-6 in the Big Ten, though it's important to note that the 2020-21 campaign was shortened as the Maize and Blue were only allowed to partake in five non-conference contests. T-Rank projects Michigan to slot No. 11 in offensive efficiency and No. 2 in defensive efficiency, which would be an improvement from a year ago on the latter end of the floor, when the Wolverines checked in at ninth in defensive efficiency.

Click the image to sign up for TheWolverine.com, free for 60 days!

4 Second-year scholarship players reside on Michigan's roster in Dickinson, guards Zeb Jackson and Jace Howard and forward Terrance Williams II. The Wolverines have two fifth-year players in Brooks and Jones, two fourth-year players in Johns and guard Adrien Nunez, and the six aforementioned freshmen.

7-foot-1 Is the height in which Dickinson is listed at, making him the tallest player on the team for a second straight year. The Wolverines have just two players who stand taller than 6-foot-8, with Diabate, at 6-10, being the only other to reach the threshold. Junior forward Brandon Johns Jr. and Houstan are both 6-8.

13 Out of 13 available scholarships have been filled by head coach Juwan Howard this season. Last year, Michigan had just 12 on scholarship. The Wolverines actually have 14 scholarship players on this year's team, but Brooks does not count against the limit since he's utilizing his free year.

16 Is how many career games Johns has started, and that number shouldn't be overlooked. While he's not considered a returning starter, he was thrust into starting action during the Wolverines' final five games of last season, which included three NCAA Tournament wins en route to the Elite Eight. Additionally, he began 11 contests the season prior, also while Isaiah Livers was out with an injury.

25th Of November is the day Dickinson, a second-year college student who is old for his grade, turns 21. Along with his announcement to return, Dickinson added that he's coming back for "one last ride," even though he has four years of eligibility remaining (since last season was deemed a 'free year' by the NCAA), which is understandable given his age.

39.6 Percent is the clip in which Brooks shot the three-ball last season, which tops the team among returners. Just two of the squad's top six three-point shooters — which includes Johns, who shot 36.8 percent on 19 attempts — are back from a year ago. The Wolverines will turn to others to make up that production, including Houstan, who is regarded as a high-level shooter, and Jones, who connected on 33.3 percent of his looks from deep at Coastal Carolina last year.

39.9 Percent of Michigan's minutes are returning from last year, according to Bart Torvik. The Wolverines are tasked with replacing wing Franz Wagner (31.7 minutes per game), Livers (31.6) and guards Mike Smith (31.7) and Chaundee Brown (20.6), and bring back just two starters in Dickinson and Brooks, who opted to use the NCAA's extra year of eligibility.

---

• Talk about this article inside The Fort

• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel

• Listen and subscribe to our podcast on iTunes

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine

• Sign up for our daily newsletter and breaking news alerts

• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @Balas_Wolverine, @EJHolland_TW, @AustinFox42, @JB_ Wolverine, Clayton Sayfie and @DrewCHallett

• Like us on Facebook