pierre brooks

While Michigan's 2021-22 roster is mostly set, the same can't be said for much of the Big Ten—or, really, most programs in the country between a packed transfer portal, the pandemic year option for seniors to return without counting against the scholarship cap, and up-in-the-air NBA Draft decisions.

There's been a lot of movement over the last few days, including this morning's announcement that Northwestern shooter Miller Kopp is transferring within the conference to Indiana. This week, I'll be going over where each Big Ten program's roster stands in alphabetical order, and I'll rank each team's current outlook at the end. Here are some important dates to keep in mind as players make decisions about their future:

• May 30: Last day to apply for NBA Draft as an early entry
• June 21-27: NBA Draft Combine
• July 19: Last day for early entry to withdraw from NBA Draft

I made sure to note which players intend to sign with an agent, making them ineligible to withdraw, and which have left the door open to come back to school. I've also noted which players are in the transfer portal—which, as Indiana has displayed, doesn't prevent a return—and which have chosen another school. Returning seniors able to use the COVID waiver for an extra year are referred to as "super seniors."

Illinois

Key departures: G Ayo Dosunmu (draft w/ agent), F Giorgi Bezhanishvili (draft or overseas), W Adam Miller (transfer)
Key additions/super seniors: G Trent Frazier (super senior), C Omar Payne (Florida transfer), G Alfonso Plummer (Utah transfer)
Up in the air: C Kofi Cockburn (draft w/o agent), W Da'Monte Williams (possible super senior)

The Illini are going to look very different next season. Ayo Dosunmu is hiring an agent for the draft and won't be back. Kofi Cockburn also isn't expected to return after declaring over the weekend—it's rare for a player to return when they test the draft waters a second time, which is the case with Cockburn. Giorgi Bezhanishvili is going to the professional ranks too, though his role diminished in conjunction with Cockburn's emergence.

In a surprise move, former top-50 recruit Adam Miller entered the transfer portal despite starting all 31 games as a freshman. He hasn't said much since entering the portal and has been connected with Arizona, DePaul, Kentucky, and Michigan, though that seems largely based on his recruitment out of high school. He showed promise as a spot-up shooter and defender.

Brad Underwood added another former top-50 recruit in Florida transfer Omar Payne, who's mostly come off the bench in his first two seasons and was passed by Michigan transfer Colin Castleton in 2020-21. Payne blocks a lot of shots but is still quite raw; not that this is a fair comparison, but he won't come close to replicating Cockburn's production. (He may, however, try to take someone's head off.) Illinois needs big leaps from sophomores Coleman Hawkins and Jacob Grandison to have an above-average frontcourt as things stand; they're a strong candidate to hit the transfer portal for another big.

Getting Trent Frazier back for a fifth year helped shore up a backcourt that'll dearly miss Dosunmu, as did this weekend's addition of Utah grad transfer Alfonso Plummer, a 6'1 guard who's a career 40% three-point shooter on high volume and a teammate of Illini guard Andre Curbelo on the Puerto Rico national team. That helps offset the loss of Miller on offense and then some, though the undersized Plummer is unlikely to match him as a defender—his defensive metrics from Utah aren't good.

The Illini don't have much in the way of instant-impact freshmen unless someone plays above their ranking. The three-player 2021 class is headlined by a pair of 6'7 small forwards who both slipped just inside the top 100 on the 247 Composite, though recent three-star SG signee Brandon Podziemski has significantly differing opinions on his talent after posting huge numbers against underwhelming Wisconsin high school competition.

It's hard not to see this team taking a significant step back in 2022. There isn't another Dosunmu or Cockburn coming in, or even an Adam Miller. The next couple years of Underwood's tenure may make or break his time in Champaign.

[Hit THE JUMP for Indiana's wild offseason, Iowa's rough one, MSU's impact transfer, and more.]

Michigan just completed its biggest visit weekend of the year with no less than seven top 100 prospects in attendance to witness the Wolverines come out victorious over in-state rival Michigan State. With the commitment of Jace Howard last month, it appeared the 2020 class was down to a final spot. But Michigan’s hot pursuit of multiple 5 stars along with fluidity in the scholarship status of Jace may translate to two openings.

The Big Fish

Consensus top 10 prospect Greg Brown hit campus for an official visit and tells me the possibility of teaming up with the high-end talent Michigan has coming in has captured his attention. A quote from my full article below captures that sentiment:

“Its intriguing, it would be a scary sight playing with those guys.”

In speaking with Greg, I didn’t get the vibe Michigan has catapulted to the top of his list, but the Wolverines certainly made a positive impression.

Juwan Howard entered the mix late here, but we’ve seen him close that gap and win races on prior occasion. The Wolverines were once considered an afterthought here, but I firmly believe Coach Howard has given Brown something to seriously consider at minimum.

That said, I still believe Brown ends up elsewhere as of today. Greg’s father played football for the Longhorns and his uncle suited up for the UT basketball team. Considering Kentucky, Auburn and Memphis round out the remainder of his final 5, it seems too much to overcome in tandem with being an out of region prospect.

[Ed-Ace: After Matt wrote up this post, Sam Webb published a long article on Josh Christopher's recruitment. While UCLA and Mizzou are both mentioned as contenders, Michigan and Arizona State, where Christopher's older brother plays, get most of the focus. In an encouraging sign, the brother factor is downplayed, and location apparently isn't an obstacle. Meanwhile, we get the biggest "Juwan Howard knows everybody" flex yet:

“Juwan is just a great dude,” Christopher said. “I think he is a real selfless person. He doesn’t have to be like that. He’s just a great person. He knows the game, (and) has great connections I’m sure. I think he texted Michael Jordan one day I was with him. I was like, ‘whoa, this is Jordan!’ He is just a really good dude, he wants to win like I do, and he knows the game.”

I need the inevitable Brendan Quinn 3000-word feature on Juwan Howard's contact list to hit sooner rather than later.]

New 2021 Offer

Farmington guard Jaden Akins took an unofficial visit Saturday and left campus with a scholarship offer in the aftermath. I caught up with Akins shortly after and he is definitely enamored with the style of play under Juwan Howard:

“I like their style of play. The way they get up and down and how Coach Howard lets you go if you prove you can do it.”

Jaden wasn’t really a priority under the previous regime, but this was his third time on campus since the Summer and things are obviously picking up. 

Your author has been advocating for Akins the last 2 years at this point. He was criminally undervalued until recently, as he’s now just outside the top 100 to both Rivals and 247. I would’ve placed him at 75ish last Summer, and with his recent play this year that may be too low as well.

With his combination of size, length, perimeter shotmaking and quick twitch athleticism, Jaden has a chance to shoot up into the top 50 with a strong Spring on the EYBL circuit with The Family.

Yes, please. 

[Hit THE JUMP for a roundup on other visitors and the latest on Isaiah Todd.]