Joey Baker leaving Michigan basketball for shot at professional ball
Michigan head coach Juwan Howard and his staff were hoping to get wing Joey Baker for one more season, planning on petitioning for another year. Instead, Baker will sign with an agent and pursue a professional career.
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This one seemed like somewhat of a long shot from the get-go. Baker played in four games as a freshman at Duke and three more full seasons with the Blue Devils before transferring to Michigan and would have been in his sixth year.
Baker played in 34 games with the Wolverines this year, averaging 5.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. He provided a three-point spark at times, shooting 39.1 percent from the floor, but he shot only 39.3 percent overall and 68.6 percent from the free throw line.
Head coach Juwan Howard but his hands together as though he were praying for it after being asked about a potential return following Baker’s big game against Toledo.
“Hopefully,” he said. “We’re going to try hard, give it our best shot. We would love to have him back … ot just because of shooting, but overall … the person. He just fits in the locker room. The guys enjoy playing with him. He’s now opening up and becoming a better leader.
“There are times when you’re new, you don’t want to step on anyones toes. It’s hard to have those uncomfortable conversations with guys, because you want to be liked by them. But at the same time he understands that at the end of big games now and this season, the guys trust him. We need his leadership, and it would be nice to have him back next season.”
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Baker put up 21 points on 5 of 7 three-point shooting against Toledo in an NIT game, his last at Crisler Center. His 11-point showing in a loss at Vanderbilt would be his last in a Michigan uniform.
Baker is the fifth Wolverine gone from last year’s team. Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard left for the NBA, while Hunter Dickinson and Isaiah Barnes went to the transfer portal. Dickinson has yet to choose a destination, and there’s hope he could return to Michigan.
Michigan could now pursue another wing in the transfer portal. The Wolverines have already added guards Caleb Love and Nimari Burnett along with forward Tray Jackson from Seton Hall.
Baker said U-M was the only place he would play another year of college basketball should he get the waiver.
“We’ll see what happens,” he said after the Michigan win over Toledo. “If I got it, I’m back here.”
It wasn’t meant to be.
Michigan finished 18-16 this year and failed to make the NCAA Tournament in Howard’s fourth season.
