'I'm a winner': Alabama transfer Nimari Burnett hopes to be big part of 'the come up' at Michigan

Michigan Wolverines basketball landed former Alabama (2021-23) and Texas Tech (2020-21) guard Nimari Burnett out of the transfer portal, and he should impact right way.

Burnett missed the entire 2021-22 campaign with an injury, then saw a left wrist injury hold him out of nine games this past season. He didn’t quite earn the playing time he would’ve liked, averaging 17.7 minutes per contest, and decided to look elsewhere.

“There were about 15-20 teams in the mix,” Burnett said on The Next Round, a Birmingham, Ala., sports talk show. “I had a couple really good options — some high-major looks, some mid-major looks. Obviously, it’s a question when you’re going to your third school — that’s one thing — and the second thing is if you’ll be eligible or not.”

Michigan recruited him out of high school, when he and head coach Juwan Howard — both Chicago natives — developed a strong relationship. Both sides circled back when he was in the portal, and it turned out to be the fit each was looking for. The Wolverines are undergoing a major roster shakeup and were light on guards and wings.

“Knowing Juwan Howard, knowing the roster structure there, knowing the type of culture that he has there,” Burnett said of his decision. “Just being a part of something that’s almost — I wouldn’t call it a rebuild, but something that’s kind of on the come up. Obviously, he’s had some good years there. And last year wasn’t as good, but he definitely looks to bring it back up.

“I’m a winner, and I want to be a part of winning at the same time as being a big impact guy. It was a great decision, a familiar team, a familiar coach.”

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Burnett loved his time at Alabama, he said, but is looking for more opportunity to prove himself. He averaged 5.6 points and 2 rebounds per contest last season, shooting 32.1 percent on threes and 46.3 percent from inside the arc.

“I wasn’t disgruntled,” the Michigan commit said of his choice to leave Alabama. “It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I don’t like it here.’ I loved everything about it. It just wasn’t somewhere that I could further my game and really prove that I’m a very, very capable player.

“At the same time, [Alabama head] Coach [Nate] Oats was very honest and up front with me. We had great two-way communication like, ‘Here are the plans. We really want you to stay, but also we understand if you were to leave.’ Us having that conversation, us being on the same page with that kind of led to that decision.

“I put in a lot of work, and not only did I do that, but I’m also very capable. It wasn’t a thing where it was like he’s not a great coach; he’s a really great coach. He knows his stuff really well, and he wins at a high level, and I’m all about that. At the same time, it is kind of a business aspect, where you also have to do what’s best for yourself. That’s what led to that decision.”

Burnett took a pair of visits to Michigan as a prep recruit, but ultimately chose Texas Tech. He was fond of Ann Arbor, though, outside of the cold weather.

“I’ve been there twice,” he said. “The first time I was there was when [former Michigan head coach John] Beilein was coaching and it was my unofficial [visit] in my sophomore year. I had a bad, bad, bad time there, because I caught the flu there. Nothing about the basketball or the school; it was strictly the flu.

“But then I went there when Coach Howard got the job my senior year. I took an official visit there, and it went really well — not to say that the other visit didn’t go really well, as well. It went well besides the flu. Coach Howard was new there.”

Added Burnett, with a laugh: “I’ve been there, and it’s very cold, very freezing.”

Nimari Burnett is a ‘high character’ individual

The Next Round held interviews with Burnett throughout the 2022-23 season as part of an NIL deal and wished him well in his future. One of the show’s hosts complimented him on his character and for being “one of the nicest people — period — that I’ve ever been around” and “a caring, kindhearted person.”

“I really hold myself to a high standard in having high character,” the Michigan commit said, thanking the hosts for their statements. “It’s one thing I pride myself on.

“I can honestly give all the credit to my parents. I’ll give them half credit, not all. Obviously, they’ve done a really good job raising me and teaching me things, learning how to see things for myself. That’s where I’ll take over my other half of the credit, where I see right from wrong, see how other people treat others and I feel like that’s one of my biggest traits that complements me very well — I know right from wrong, and I try to do that.

“I’m a big believer in God, big believer in the Bible. I take that very seriously. You treat people how you want to be treated, and I want to treat people with the utmost respect, be the highest character individual that I can possibly be and impact the world in a positive way.

“Saying the right things and being the right way, it’s genuine and never been a facade with me. It’s always been genuine, straightforward, and what you see is what you get.”