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TheWolverine.com CHAT: Michigan football, hoops, recruiting, more

Chris Balasby:Chris Balas•05/12/22•

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Michigan coaches Jim Harbaugh and Juwan Howard have won titles in Ann Arbor. (Photos by Getty Images)

Our weekly noon chat in which we answer all your questions related to Michigan Wolverines football, basketball, recruiting and more. 

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Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard is still piecing together the 2022-23 roster, and it’s gotten interesting. The Wolverines are still waiting on decisions from Moussa Diabate and Caleb Houstan. With Houstan declining an NBA Draft Combine invite, there has been increased speculation that the sophomore-to-be will stay in the Draft.

DraftExpress.com’s Jonathan Givony added fuel to the fire with a recent tweet:

Two players declined invites to the NBA Combine: Michigan’s Caleb Houstan and Iowa’s Kris Murray,” he wrote. “For Houstan, there will now be a lot of speculation about promises and shut-downs, and rightfully so. Kris Murray may very well be headed back to Iowa.”

In other words, it seems he expects Houstan to stay in the draft.

We’d heard Diabate might be leaning that way since midseason, so that one wouldn’t be as big a surprise. Regardless, if those two go, Howard and his staff are going to have to find some immediate help in the portal and/or rely more on their freshmen than expected this season.

Jett Howard might be able to provide immediate help at the wing should Houstan leave. Isaiah Barnes, too, appears ready to make a leap in his second year.

If Diabate bolts, redshirt freshman Will Tschetter is going to get more a shot, as well. So, too, will frosh Tarris Reed.

We discuss all that and more in today’s chat.

Michigan football off during May

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and his team used to travel in May, going overseas to Rome, France and South Africa. World events have prevented it recently, but the Wolverines will go around the state of Michigan in July, instead.

Most of the Wolverines remain on campus and are working in preparation for the fall season. Strength coach Ben Herbert has done an excellent job shaping and reshaping bodies … we discuss those who have made big gains in chat.

On the quarterback front, J.J. McCarthy is back throwing, and he’ll compete with Cade McNamara to be the Michigan starter this fall. The Wolverines open the season Sept. 3 against Colorado State. McCarthy is coming off a shoulder injury, but he’s hoping to make a full recovery. If he does, both quarterbacks will likely play significant minutes in the opener.

Michigan could still look at add one more player from the portal, as well. We discuss that and more in chat …

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