Where Michigan basketball ranks in 'Way too early top 25' polls

The 2022-23 college basketball season has come to a close with the Kansas Jayhawks surviving through the NCAA Tournament. All eyes turn to the offseason now and the Michigan Wolverines finding ways to round themselves back into national championship form.

This past season was all over the place, as evidenced by a 19-15 final record. Despite inconsistencies, Michigan found its way into its fifth-straight Sweet 16. If it hit more shots in the post against Villanova, it might have been Elite Eight bound. When it was all said and done, Michigan kept its postseason pedigree in check.

In the hours after the national championship game, national outlets rushed to put out their “way too early top 25” lists for next season. Most are expecting Michigan to get right back into the thick of the national conversation.

Mike DeCourcy of The Sporting News ranks Michigan fourth

The nice NCAA Tournament run made this past season feel better than it was, but the intermittent struggles can’t diminish how capable this team’s young players are. Forward Moussa Diabate and wing Caleb Houstan are just talented enough as freshmen that NBA teams might be interested, but just far enough from being ready to be drafted or fully valued that they could benefit enormously by playing another year.

The injury to Devante Jones at the end of the season revealed how capable Frankie Collins is, which could give the Wolverines two talented point guards.

The Wolverines could afford to lose one of the two frosh, but probably need to hang on to former All-American big man Hunter Dickinson. He could have a Kofi Cockburn-style year in 2022-23 if he takes another lap.

CBS Sports’ Gary Parrish weighs in with Wolverines 12th

The Wolverines’ ranking is based on a returning core of Hunter Dickinson, Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate, each of whom is a nice college player but nothing resembling a sure-fire first-round pick. For that reason, I’ll assume for now that they’re all back at Michigan, which could then be the favorite in the Big Ten.

Jeff Borzello of ESPN places U-M 11th

Hunter Dickinson nearly left Ann Arbor for the NBA draft last summer, and he could certainly take the next step this year, but latest projections have him going undrafted — so there’s a chance Juwan Howard gets him for another campaign. If he does return, Michigan will again have one of the biggest frontcourts in the country, with Howard hoping Caleb Houstan can become more consistent on the wing. It will be interesting to see how the Wolverines replace DeVante’ Jones and Eli Brooks; Frankie Collins showed flashes down the stretch, while Dug McDaniel is a tough, quick freshman entering the fold. Kobe Bufkin, a former McDonald’s All American, will also return on the perimeter.

Sports Illustrated rounds out the list with Michigan at No. 15

It was an uneven 2021–22 for Michigan, to say the least, but the Wolverines did end it with a trip to a Sweet 16. The big question that this ranking hinges on is the return of Hunter Dickinson. Dickinson is unlikely to get drafted should he go pro now, but his stock may never improve much because of his physical limitations. Should he return as this ranking projects, Juwan Howard can build around him as well as youngsters such as Frankie Collins, Moussa Diabate, Jett Howard and Dug McDaniel.

Thoughts on early rankings

Michigan was a preseason darling prior to this year, so these rankings can always be taken with a grain of salt. The Wolverines could have some good pieces back on the roster, but there are questions. A few of the freshmen may be looking to cash in their chips and head to the NBA. Dickinson’s status remains up in the air. But with a few key players deciding to stay, player development and a piece or two through the transfer portal, they can be right back in the thick of things.

It is the offseason now, so time will tell and things will sort themselves out. Michigan has plenty of work to do to build on its postseason momentum.