one-time transfer exception

On Monday I took a look at the potential returners and departures from this year's roster as well as possible offseason additions. One longshot came off the board yesterday when five-star 2021 center Charles Bediako committed to Alabama. [ALMOST IMMEDIATE UPDATE: Mike Smith announced on his Instagram that he's not coming back and will enter the NBA Draft. A full post is coming shortly.]

Most everything else is still on the table. Sam Webb even added a scenario I'd dismissed as unlikely in a quick note:

I still expect Michigan to be active in the portal, but I expect the focus lead guard help to be the focus. And that’s even if they get Eli Brooks or Mike Smith back (I haven’t received word on either yet).

I've seen a couple insider-y message board posts (which I now cannot locate, I apologize) that suggested Minnesota's All-Big Ten point guard Marcus Carr isn't going to be a Michigan target. There are still a lot of intriguing lead guard options out there. Your guess is as good as mine regarding possible transfer additions at the moment, though that process can move fast, as we saw last year with Mike Smith. (It took a little longer to get Chaundee Brown on board.)

Now that we have a handle on the many ways the roster can take shape, it's time examine the potential lineup combinations and how they project to fare.  Let's get this over with: any realistic roster projection for next season doesn't include Isaiah Livers or Franz Wagner, or at least that's how we're going to protect ourselves from disappointment.

To avoid confusion, I'm referring to the five players who've already played their senior year but have the option to return without counting against the scholarship limit as "super seniors," while Brandon Johns and Adrien Nunez are the two regular seniors.

Two Super Seniors, No Grad Transfer

Point? [Campredon]

It's sounding more and more realistic to expect at least one senior to utilize the extra year of eligibility. 247 hoops insider Dotman has dropped hints that both Eli Brooks and Chaundee Brown could be back for another season. The Wolverine's staff is also mentioning that possibility. Let's start with that scenario: every other super senior leaves, as does Wagner, and Juwan Howard decides not to hit the transfer market.

Here's one way that roster's depth chart could look, keeping in mind that most of the roster is capable of playing multiple positions, including the entire starting lineup outside of Hunter Dickinson:

[Hit THE JUMP for this group's outlook and several more lineup combos.]

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POY/COY. Congratulations to Naz Hillmon, the Big Ten's women's basketball player of the year. Hillmon averaged 25 and 11 while shooting 65% from the floor. That'll do. Congratulations are also in order for Juwan Howard, the Sporting News MBB coach of the year.

Yes I will link a retrospective of Trey Burke stealing the ball from Keith Appling. This is a thing I will do:

“As soon as we turned the ball over, I started thinking of ways to get the ball back, like, ‘we’ve gotta get the ball back, or they’re gonna hold for the last shot,’ ” Burke told the Daily in a phone interview this week. “My mind automatically went to getting the steal.”

Matched up against Keith Appling, the Spartans’ star guard, Burke knew what to look for. Appling dribbled the ball up past half-court and turned his head towards Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. As Appling asked for a play call, his right hand was exposed. Despite the Spartans being in the double-bonus, Burke went for the steal.

“I had gotten it on a few other guards that year, but Keith Appling usually wouldn’t leave the ball there,” Burke said. “He usually would spin with the ball in the right hand, with his outside hand, so you can’t get it.”

It's Duncan Robinson content Tuesday. First, a preview of his interview with one half of Men In Blazers cites one DFW:

Inspired by the words of David Foster Wallace, Duncan Robinson explains to Rog how he acts as a "conscious participant" in his own life, on and off the court.

The @MiamiHEAT player joins us this WEDNESDAY. @D_Bo20 is proper @ManCityUS. Airs 3:30 pm ET on NBCSN @NBCSportsSoccer. pic.twitter.com/BEFhsaZLoq

— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) March 8, 2021

I was initially surprised by this and then created a mental list of athletes most likely to cite David Foster Wallace. "Guy who went to Williams" for a year topped it.

Second, how Robinson went from the G-League to an NBA record-setter:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tOjr9OJxQI

He also tops the most unlikely pro star list.

[After THE JUMP: in which the common sense of the hockey committee is relied upon]