Juwan Howard's Latest Transfer Portal Pickup Draws Mixed Reaction

Michigan head basketball coach Juwan Howard is no stranger to utilizing the transfer portal, and he added another name to the list on Thursday.

Michigan head basketball coach Juwan Howard is no stranger to utilizing the transfer portal, and he added another name to the list on Thursday.

Nimari Burnett, a transfer from the University of Alabama, announced his commitment to the University of Michigan on Thursday. The 6-4, 195-pound shooting guard played one season with the Crimson Tide, averaging 5.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in just over 14 minutes per game.

NEWS: Alabama transfer Nimari Burnett has committed to Michigan, he tells @On3sports.

Former McDonald’s All-American. Began his career at Texas Tech.

Story: https://t.co/dNWMlVTTvq pic.twitter.com/nQ46sLB7eH

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) March 30, 2023

As part of the 2020 recruiting class, Burnett was a four-star recruit and high on Juwan Howard's wish list. Ultimately, Burnett chose Texas Tech over Michigan, where he averaged 5.3 points per game in just under 18 minutes per contest during his freshman campaign.  

After his freshman year at Texas Tech, Burnett transferred to Alabama and missed the entire 2021-22 season after suffering a a torn ACL.  The following season, Burnett started in Alabama's first nine games before suffering another injury that would keep him out for a month during the 2022-23 season. Ultimately, he was never able to work himself back into the starting lineup and his limited playing time in Tuscaloosa played a major role in once again entering the transfer portal. 

“Michigan is the best place for me to thrive, offensively and defensively,” Burnett said to On3. “I’ve known coach Juwan Howard for a long time now, ever since I was a kid. I’ve always had a good relationship with him and I just felt it was the best place for me to be.”

Although most fans expected Howard to once again supplement Michigan's roster via the transfer portal, the addition of Burnett has drawn mixed reactions from the fan base. Between the injuries, low production numbers, and the fact that this will be Burnett's third program in four years, there's a healthy amount of skepticism surrounding Howard's latest addition from the portal. On the flip side, Burnett is a solid defender who can provide depth on a roster that is still very much a work in progress.