The First Look at the Michigan Wolverines 2024-2025 Basketball Recruiting Class


      This week marks one month since Juwan Howard's departure, and Dusty May and the Wolverines have had their names around ten guys going into the next dead period (May 16-24). While the Wolverines' top five scorers depart, seven players have officially committed to Ann Arbor for the 2024-2025 season. This article will highlight the seven athletes that May's staff has signed this offseason.

   On Friday, April 13, Justin Pippen, son of former NBA legend Scottie Pippen, went on an official visit to Ann Arbor. 6 days later, he announced his commitment to the Wolverines via 247 Sports. The four-star 6'3, 180lbs combo guard from Sierra Canyon High School was ranked 101 in the 247 Composite. Pippen has a solid foundation to work with, and we will only see him improve while enrolled at Michigan. 

   Six days later, Rubin Jones committed to Ann Arbor. This 6'5, 190-lb graduate transfer is a stat sheet stuffer, having averaged 12 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 39.6% from the field throughout 23 games for North Texas. Rubin's exceptional defensive skills, including 2 games with 5+ steals, make him a valuable addition to May's defense, and we can expect him to continue thriving in this role.

   Saturday, April 20, ex-Yale center Danny Wolf announced his commitment to Michigan. The 7'0 255 pound sophomore averaged 14 points and 10 assists on 47% shooting on the field. Last year, Wolf was a unanimous all-Ivy League first-team selection and helped lead Yale to a 13 seed in March Madness. Wolf also ranks 18 in the 247sports transfer portal rankings, this being a massive pickup for the Wolverines after the departure of Tarris Reed Jr, their previous big man.

   On Monday, April 21, Tre Donaldson committed to Dusty May and the Michigan Wolverines after spending almost 3 weeks in the transfer portal. The ex-Auburn guard had an underwhelming season, averaging just 6.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, but is a sniper from 3, shooting 41% for the Tigers. The 6'3, 200-pound sophomore guard will make an immediate impact but will need to fight for his playtime due to an overabundance of guards in the locker room.  

   One day later, rival Ohio State guard Roddy Gayle Jr. announced his commitment to the Wolverines over Alabama, Louisville, Texas, Georgia, and others. The 6'4, 210-pound sophomore guard averaged 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists on 45% shooting. Gayle started in all but one of the Buckeyes' 36 games this season, playing around 30 minutes a night. This is an exciting transfer, and I want to see how Gayle slides into May's offense.

   One hour later, the 6'10 freshman Sam Walters committed to the Wolverines. Walters averaged 5 points and 2 rebounds in 12 minutes of action last season for the Crimson Tide. Although these are pretty underwhelming numbers, Walters was a former top 60 recruit in the 2023 recruiting class, and his scoring sparks throughout the season have shown that he can be a great stretch four for the Wolverines.

   On Wednesday, April 23, Dusty May was able to flip the FAU commit Lorenzo Cason to Michigan. The 6'3, 190, 190-pound prospect from Lakeland, FL, chose Dusty May over Seton Hall and Florida. Cason is an up-and-coming guard who averaged 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists last year in his senior season. Cason will enter a stacked guard room and must work for playtime. I will not be surprised if he transfers out of Ann Arbor when this upcoming season concludes.

    This class has not been the best for May so far, but if he can get his hands on 2-3 more players and have Vlad Goldin and Trey Townsend commit, they could be a dark horse tournament team.

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