John Beilein helped lure Dusty May to Michigan basketball, plus early roster intel

We don’t know exactly how Michigan basketball was able to steal Dusty May away from Louisville at the last minute, but we know that former head coach John Beilein had something to do with it.

According to Josh Henschke of Rivals, Beilein was part of the meeting with May. He and Warde Manuel “teamed up to pull the rug under Louisville,” said his post on X.

John Beilein and Warde Manuel teamed up tonight to bring Dusty May to Ann Arbor, pulling the rug from underneath Louisville.

More on that meeting and the future here: https://t.co/xmnqpZFWwU

— Josh Henschke (@JoshHenschke) March 24, 2024

And in fairness, former coach John Beilein deserves a lot of the credit here, too, helping to make the connections, and the pitch. https://t.co/2BS1WVVlkf

— John U. Bacon (@Johnubacon) March 24, 2024

That jives with our report that May to Louisville was a done deal. Other insiders, even people on the Louisville side felt very confident. But, as one Michigan basketball fan pointed out, Beilein had to get his revenge for the 2013 national championship game.

Holy shit we all suck at this. https://t.co/24gssGCb8N

— Trilly Donovan (@trillydonovan) March 24, 2024

Surely, his presence made an impact. There are also rumblings that Beilein could have a role with Michigan basketball going forward. Not on the coaching side of things obviously. But having Beilein around in any capacity is a huge win for the Wolverines. Just look at his impact on this coaching search. If he wasn’t willing to lend a hand (which shows how much he loves Michigan) U-M might have missed out on its top target.

This post on X also summed up the day perfectly for the Wolverines.

pic.twitter.com/uDCvwVuc5y

— Championship Connoisseur (@UMvsEveryone) March 24, 2024

Some early Michigan basketball roster intel

Also expecting Nimari Burnett to remain in a Michigan uniform, but that has yet to be seen

— Davis Moseley (@DavisMoseley) March 24, 2024

A lot will happen over the next few days. However, there’s some early chatter about the Michigan basketball roster. Davis Moseley, a program insider, said he “expects” Nimari Burnett to return next season (nothing is final). George Washington III also posted his announcement on going into the transfer portal and left the door open for a return.

Expecting to see Durral Brooks staying with Michigan.

— Davis Moseley (@DavisMoseley) March 24, 2024

Moseley also posted on X that he is “expecting to see Durral Brooks staying with Michigan.” That would be a nice piece moving forward (Brooks was Michigan’s Mr. Basketball) along with Christian Anderson who hasn’t given any hint of leaving. Khani Rooths said he would still consider Michigan basketball and that would be my first recruiting call if I’m Dusty May.

Another player I would love to see back is Terrance Williams. In a season filled with disappointment, he was a bright spot for Michigan basketball, averaging 12.3 points per game and shooting 39 percent from 3-point range. He made 1.7 3-pointers per game and May’s team attempts plenty of threes.

Starting out with Burnett, Williams, two freshmen guards ranked in the top 200, and some Florida Atlantic transfers would be a good place to start building a roster.

More moves will be needed but that’s also why this hire, and the timing of it was perfect. Michigan can start getting active in the transfer portal and giving itself the best chance to bounce back quickly in 2024-25.

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