Projecting Who's Staying, Who's Leaving from Michigan After Missing NCAA Tournament

Michigan opened the 2023-24 season with low external expectations and managed to finish even worse.

That is not a sentence that Juwan Howard or the Wolverines wanted to read, but it nevertheless is reality. The preseason Big Ten media poll pegged Michigan to finish 12th in the 14-team league, but the Maize and Blue ultimately finished in last place.

By four games.

Howard's future immediately became the major storylines after Michigan ended its nightmarish 8-24 campaign. And after five seasons, he will not be returning to his alma mater.

The coaching change is simply one part of a busy offseason in Ann Arbor.

Now that Michigan has dismissed Howard, effectively the entire roster is in flux. You can be certain that outside voices will be trying to sway players into the transfer portal.

On paper, the Wolverines will be leaning on Dug McDaniel once again. Although he missed six games due to a midseason suspension, he paced U-M with 16.3 points and 4.7 assists per game.

Tarris Reed can reprise his starting role in the frontcourt, where Will Tschetter could earn a full-time spot.

But, again, Howard's exit complicates this outlook. One presumed contributor has already said he'll be transferring—more on him shortly—and additional players could follow suit.

In addition to replacing Howard at the helm, Michigan may lose as many as a handful of veteran players.

George Washington III, a 4-star signee in the 2023 cycle, told On3's Joe Tipton that he plans to enter the transfer portal.

Olivier Nkamhoua, who transferred from Tennessee and ended as Michigan's second-leading scorer this season, is out of eligibility. The same goes for Jaelin Llewellyn and Tray Jackson, two more recent transfers who played important roles off the bench.

Terrance Williams II has a fifth year of eligibility, but a mention of his "final season here" on Senior Day suggests he won't be back.

Also, well-traveled guard Nimari Burnett previously said he's undecided about his future. There is a real chance that he does not return, in addition to the ever-present possibility of outgoing transfers with Washington.

Although the Wolverines have three commitments in the 2024 class, their highest-ranked prospect is still unsigned.

The incoming head coach—whoever that may be—definitely has a rapid priority to tackle.

Khani Rooths is narrowly short of 5-star status, ranking as the 31st overall prospect in the cycle. He gave a verbal pledge in November but didn't sign immediately. As of February, per Andrew Kahn of MLive, Rooths plans to sign during the mid-April window.

Also, the Maize and Blue are poised to add 4-star guard Christian Anderson and 3-star in-state guard Durral Brooks.

Michigan will undoubtedly need to utilize the portal, too. Depending on how many scholarships open beyond the known spots, the Wolverines may be extremely active in pursuing transfers.