Getting to know Michigan basketball's top-10 transfer portal class (2024)

Entering high school developed and even earning an offer from Rutgers before beginning high school, Gayle got an early start on an illustrious high school career. He averaged 22 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists while leading Lewiston-Porter to its first Section VI basketball title in 31 years as a freshman, then followed that up with a cool 25.8 points, nine rebounds, three assists and 2.3 steals as a sophom*ore. He was named all-state both years, and picked up nearly two dozen high-major offers by the June before his junior year.

Described by 247Sports as having "a college ready body with good length (long arms) and great strength" as well as a "powerful athlete who thrives in traffic," Gayle debuted as a top-50 recruit in the 247Sports Composite a full three years before he arrived at Ohio State. He ended up transferring to Wasatch Academy in Utah. His role was reduced there when he joined midway through the season, but as a junior he averaged more than 10 points per game for a team that was the 5-seed in the GEICO National Tournament.

As a senior Gayle dealt with injury, but ultimately led Wasatch — who produced 10 Top247 recruits from 2021-24 — in points, rebounds and assists.

His senior year earned him a bump back into the top 50 of the 247Sports Composite, and he finished the class ranked No. 49 overall. His physicality as a 6-foot-4 guard jumped out to recruiting analysts.

"Handles contact extremely well and loves to dish out the contact," 247Sports' Jerry Meyer wrote at the time. "Shoots the ball well off the catch with an efficient and smooth low release. Also scores with pull up jumpers where he elevates and can also score at the rim.

"Most notably, he has a niche as a potent post up player. Ball handling is solid and efficient. Has the ability to deliver to the open man. Rebounds his position quite well and can ignite the fast break. Has potential to be a formidable and versatile defender. Overall has a well rounded game that impacts a game in virtually all facets."

He committed to Ohio State before his junior season even began, choosing the Buckeyes over Georgetown, Marquette, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and UConn, as well as other high-major offers.

College

Arriving to Ohio State as the highest-ranked member of the Buckeyes' No. 8 2022 recruiting class, expectations were high from the jump for Gayle. There were inconsistencies early on, as he scored 0-4 points in 16 of his first 24 games in a mostly reserve role.

But starting 10 of the Buckeyes' final 11 games, however, Gayle grew comfortable with the college game. In the 2023 Big Ten Tournament, Gayle helped lead the 13th-seeded Buckeyes to three straight upset wins to advance to the semifinals, where they lost to Purdue. In those four games, Gayle averaged 12.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game, and an impressive 82.0 eFG%, setting a tone for his sophom*ore year.

Starting from the jump as a sophom*ore, Gayle was one of the Big Ten's most-improved players. He averaged 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists as a sophom*ore, compared to 4.6 points, 1.6 rebounds and 0.9 assists as a freshman.

He cleaned up his fouls — dropping from 4.0 fouls per 40 minutes to 2.7 — while upping his fouls drawn per 40 minutes from 2.0 to 4.5. He improved most as a passer and creator, going from an assist rate of 10.0 percent to 19.7 percent, and posted a true shooting percentage of 54.7 percent — high for his increased volume of shot attempts.

Though he struggled with just a 28.2-percent clip on 3s, Gayle's scoring was consistent. In 36 games and 35 starts, Gayle scored in double figures 28 times, at least 15 points 15 times and less than eight points just twice all season.

After helping the Buckeyes to a bumpy 22-14 season that including a midseason firing of head coach Chris Holtmann, Gayle entered the transfer portal. He was ranked 247Sports' No. 60 prospect in the portal, and chose Michigan over reported interest from Alabama, Clemson, Creighton, Duke, Georgia, Gonzaga, Oregon and Tennessee, among others.

Center Vlad Goldin

ICYMI —New Blue Preview: Getting to know Michigan center Vlad Goldin

Basics

Height: 7-foot-1

Weight: 240 pounds

Position: Center

Experience: Graduate transfer (fifth year)

Previous school: Florida Atlantic

Hometown: Nalchick, Russia

High school: Putnam Science Academy

High school

Growing up in Nalchick, Russia, Goldin spent six years focused on wrestling. At age 15, it became apparent through a growth spurt that wrestling wouldn't be a long-term opportunity, and he picked up basketball instead.

Goldin spent three seasons with the CSKA Moscow Junior Team, growing his points per game from 4.5 to 8.2 to 16.5 as he grew more comfortable with the game. By year three, it was clear that Goldin had a future in basketball, and he enrolled at Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut with aims at a college scholarship.

Like many foreign players who pick up the game late, Goldin held a low recruiting profile, not even getting a profile on any recruiting sites until January, 2020, when most of the 2020 recruits had already signed with their future programs. But Texas Tech, who had signed foreign-born prospects from Putnam in the previous three recruiting classes, landed his signing in July, 2020. By then, Goldin had landed at No. 211 in the 2020 247Sports Composite — a high three-star ranking.

College

Still raw and playing for a team that was a 6-seed in the NCAA Tournament, Goldin played sparingly as a freshman. He played in just 10 games, and totaled 46 minutes, 19 points, 10 rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal.

After Red Raiders head coach Chris Beard left for Texas, Goldin entered the transfer portal seeking a more prominent role elsewhere. Florida Atlantic, led by Dusty May, jumped at the opportunity.

In one of a couple career-altering recruitments for May, Goldin looked at home almost immediately with the Owls. He averaged 7.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game as a sophom*ore. According to KenPom.com, Goldin was among the nation's top 75 in both block rate (7.1 percent) and offensive rebounding rate (12.9 percent) while making 57.6 percent of his field-goal attempts. Goldin impressed teammates and coaches with his work ethic, but fouls were a problem, and his scoring was inconsistent — 11 games with 10 or more points, 13 games with four points or fewer.

Goldin's junior year proved to be his breakout season, and FAU reaped the rewards. He scored 19 points and nine rebounds in a loss at Ole Miss, and only continued his run as the Owls won their next 20 games. Showing even more efficiency in the paint (he made 62.0 percent of all field goals, including 67.4 percent at the rim) and dropping his foul and turnover rates and increasing his free-throw attempt rate from 33.1 percent to 55.1 percent, Goldin looked like one of the nation's better all-around big men, finishing the season with 10.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game.

He started every game for the Owls, who went 35-3 and made their first ever run to the Final Four. In the NCAA Tournament, Goldin averaged 7.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, and his 14-point, 13-rebound showing in a win over Kansas State (who had 22 rebounds as a team in the game) in the Elite Eight was the highlight.

Goldin continued to grow his game as a senior, even if FAU didn't return to the Final Four. The big man upped his field-goal percentage to 67.3 percent (including 72.0 percent by the rim) and finished among the top 12 nationally in both effective field-goal percentage and true shooting percentage. He rounded out his game with improvements in drawing fouls (from 5.3 fouls drawn per 40 minutes to 6.3), free-throw shooting (58.5 percent to 66.3 percent) and avoiding fouls (3.7 per 40 minutes, compared to 4.7 a year prior).

Perhaps most valuably for Michigan, Goldin more than held his own against better competition. As the Owls moved to the AAC and took on tougher non-conference opponents, Goldin shined. In 14 games against top-100 opponents, Goldin averaged 17.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.

He finished the year averaging 15.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game, and was named second-team All-AAC (the first team didn't have a center). He entered the transfer portal after the season and May's departure, and pledged to the Wolverines in late April.

Guard Rubin Jones

ICYMI —New Blue Preview: Getting to know Michigan guard Rubin Jones

Basics

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 190 pounds

Position: Guard

Experience: Graduate/fifth-year senior

Previous school: North Texas

Hometown: Houston, Texas

High school: Jack Yates High School

High school

Playing for Houston powerhouse Jack Yates High School, Jones got an early crash course in playing fast and aggressive. He helped lead the program to the state semifinals as a junior, then led them to a 26-3 record and No. 1 ranking in the Texas 4A class, before the season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The team scored 100 or more points in 22 of its final 23 games, all wins.

Though there aren't many stats listed for Jones out of high school, he was named TABC All-State and a finalist for multiple Houston player of the year awards. He was lauded by then-UNT coach Grant McCasland for his "raw instincts" and scoring versatility, as the coach stated that "He can get in tight situations and make some spectacular plays. He's one of those guys that sees the whole game and I don't know if you can teach it. He has that more than just about anybody I've ever coached."

He earned offers from Louisiana Tech, Troy, UTEP and Tulsa, among others, but chose North Texas, who won a Conference USA title his senior year of high school. He was not rated by 247Sports, but earned a low three-star rating in the 247Sports Composite, ranking No. 379 overall in the 2020 class.

College

Seen regardless of ranking as the Mean Green's top freshman in 2020-21, Jones lived up to billing, serving essentially as UNT's sixth man. He never started a game, but averaged 6.2 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game in 22.6 minutes per night. Turnovers (25.8 percent turnover rate) and 2-point shooting (35.3 percent) were problems, but Jones established himself as a catch-and-shoot threat from 3 (24 for 59 from 3, 40.7 percent) and a versatile, steal-happy defender.

Jones became a full-time starter as a sophom*ore, but didn't expand his role a ton, only attempting 0.7 more field-goal attempts per game. He averaged 8.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. He continued to struggle with turnovers (24.9 percent) and his 3-point shooting dip (to 34.5 percent) countered an improved clip on 2-point field goal attempts (up to 52.6 percent).

After enduring offseason knee surgery that kept him out from preseason practices and UNT's first two games, Jones came off the bench for most of his junior season. He averaged 6.7 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, and averaged 27.7 minutes per game. Though it was his worst shooting season — 32.0 percent from 3, 45.1 percent eFG% — Jones did post a solid steal rate of 3.3 percent (122nd nationally), and was named to the All-Conference USA defensive team.

He also started the final five games of the season for the Mean Green, and averaged 9.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in February and March, hinting that he was making progress after his recovery.

Then as a senior, Jones finally had his breakthrough season. The guard played more of a point guard role, and ratcheted up his assist average from 2.0 his first three seasons to 3.7. Even facing tougher competition in UNT's move to the AAC, he averaged a career-best 12.1 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. He also posted career-bests in 3-point shooting (41.6 percent), assist rate (25.9 percent), steal rate (3.5 percent) and turnover rate (18.1 percent).

Though he missed 11 games in the middle of the season with a torn hamstring, Jones returned to close the season strong. Perhaps his signature game was a 17-point, four-rebound, four-assist, four-steal showing in 33 minutes of an 84-77 win over LSU in the NIT.

He entered the transfer portal, and chose Michigan after what had previously been a quiet recruitment.

Forward Sam Walters

ICYMI —New Blue Preview: Getting to know Michigan forward Sam Walters

Basics

Height: 6-foot-10

Weight: 198 pounds

Position: Forward

Experience: Sophom*ore

Previous school: Alabama

Hometown: The Villages, Florida

High school: Villages Charter School

High school

Hailing from central Florida, Walters' mother worked for The Villages age-restricted community, so Walters attended Villages Charter School. There, the 6-foot-10 forward did everything for the same school that produced NBA first-round pick and McDonald's All-American Tre Mann.

He averaged 24.6 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, and was named the county's player of the year.

Playing AAU basketball with the Florida Rebels, Walters also averaged 8.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game during the Nike EYBL circuit in the summer of 2022.

Walters fielded a slew of high-major offers, and first burst onto the scene as a recruit after his sophom*ore season. He fluctuated between the 50-110 range in the 247Sports Composite, but made a strong ascent after his senior season to finish No. 58 overall. By then, he had been committed to Alabama for almost a year, choosing the Crimson Tide over Florida, LSU, Georgetown, Rutgers and others.

Like many 6-foot-10 shooters out of high school, Walters was viewed as a prospect who would need to add strength before realizing their potential in college. But Walters' shooting did earn him a late rise up 247Sports' rankings.

"The more we looked at what he can potentially bring to the table the more we felt he was deserving of a nice bump," Eric Bossi wrote last spring. "Walters shoots with range and his high release point, excellent mechanics and quick release makes it hard for defenders to get a good closeout on him. Walters is also a bouncy athlete who can really get out in transition and he looks like a guy who should fill a needed role for Nate Oats and his staff."

College

Arriving to a program fresh off a 31-6 season and Sweet Sixteen appearance, Walters came off the bench as a freshman. He debuted with seven points against Morehead State, then turned some heads with a 16-point showing against South Alabama (including a 3-for-3 clip on 3s) in his third game. Though he never started a game for the Crimson Tide, he played in all 37 games, and finished eighth on the team in minutes per game (12.3) and seventh in points per game (5.4).

During the season, he proved to be an asset as a 3-point shooter, hitting 39.4 percent of his attempts beyond the arc, and also hit a healthy 82.5 percent of his free throws. His role and scoring output were sporadic, but he did log double-digit scoring efforts against Arkansas (overtime win), Florida (overtime win), Texas A&M and Arizona.

After helping Alabama advance to the Final Four, Walters entered the transfer portal, presumably to seek a more prominent role as a sophom*ore. He reconnected with Dusty May, who had crossed paths with him while he was coaching Florida Atlantic, and Walters committed to the Wolverines after taking official visits to Ohio State and Michigan.

Forward Danny Wolf

ICYMI —New Blue preview: Getting to know Michigan forward Danny Wolf

Basics

Height: 7-foot

Weight: 255 pounds

Position: Forward/center

Experience: Junior

Previous school: Yale

Hometown: Glencoe, Illinois

High school: Northfield Mount Hermon

High school

Initially from north Chicago suburb Glencoe, Wolf played two years at Lake Forest Academy in Illinois, but transferred to New England prep power Northfield Mount Hermon ahead of the 2020-21 season.

By that point, Wolf had grown four inches since his freshman year to sprout up to 6-foot-10, but needed a season (Illinois at the time was non-committal about high school boys basketball during the COVID-19 pandemic) to expand his offer list beyond Chicago State and Milwaukee, and chose a program that produced eight Division-I signees in his graduating class alone.

Even in a pandemic-shortened season, he did that, earning offers from Minnesota, Penn State and DePaul ahead of his senior year.

In addition to his high school career, Wolf also played for Chicago-based AAU program Mac Irvin Fire. He averaged 6.3 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in six games on The Circuit

But between a pandemic-shortened junior season and an injury-affected senior year, Wolf's recruiting never gained much more traction. After considering a prep year, Wolf opted to commit to Yale, who had made the NCAA Tournament in its last three seasons.

College

Wolf played a minor role as a freshman with the Bulldogs as he battled injuries. He came in off the bench in 19 games, and totaled 54 points and 44 rebounds in 155 minutes. Notably, 30 of those points and 28 of those rebounds came in the final 10 games he played in, hinting that he improved his game during his freshman season.

He carried that momentum into a breakout sophom*ore season, in which he averaged 14.4 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. He exceeded 20 points eight times, shot 34.9 percent from 3, posted an eFG% of 51.1 percent and finished 10th nationally with a defensive rebounding rate of 29.1 percent. Of 44 listed 7-footers in college basketball last season, Wolf hit the seventh-most 3-pointers, led the group in defensive rebounding rate and was sixth in usage rate. He was unanimously named All-Ivy League, and led Yale to yet another NCAA Tournament appearance, including a win over 4-seed Auburn.

He opted to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal — a rarity for non-graduate Ivy League transfers — and chose the Wolverines over North Carolina, among other high-major offers.