Analyzing the shot charts for transfers and returning players ahead of the 2024-25 Michigan men’s basketball season

It’s been a busy offseason for the Michigan men’s basketball team as a new coaching regime has assembled a roster full of talented transfer players. In college basketball, you can never have too many good shooters, and looking at the shooting charts, it’s clear that consistent shooting performance has been a priority for head coach Dusty May when recruiting players.

Let’s break down the 2023-24 shot charts for all six transfers, as well as the shot charts for Michigan’s three returning players.

(All shot charts are courtesy of by CBB Analytics. Thanks to Steve Pelletier of Rezball for sending these to me. Be sure to check out his Substack for fixed NBA Draft Coverage and predictions for the future during the college basketball season.)

Transfers – Big players and strikers

Vlad Goldin

As you can see from the chart above, Goldin is incredibly efficient in the crease and around the basket. According to KenPom, Goldin ranks 12th in the country in effective field goal percentage (67.3).

He rarely shoots outside the crease, but when he has the ball close, he usually scores. Efficiency at the basket is exactly what you want from your center, and that’s far from the only reason to be excited about Goldin.

Danny Wolf

May has talked about the possibility of Danny Wolf and Goldin playing at the same time, and the Wolverines should be able to do that because of Wolf’s ability to stretch the court. While he hasn’t been very efficient from the wing, Wolf has made more than half of his threes from the free throw line. That would be the ideal spot for Wolf to roam to in pick-and-pop sets.

For a 2.13 meter tall Wolf, one would hope that he would be a little more efficient in the penalty area, but the fact that he converts almost 35 percent of his three-pointers as a “big man” is a nice luxury.

Sam Walters

Like Wolf, Sam Walters is a lanky player who can sink three-pointers and has a quick jump shot that is difficult to defend for a 6-foot-2 player.

Walters is best on the right side of the court, making 24 of 44 attempts (54.5 percent) of his three-pointers from there. That right corner may be the best spot for Walters to make subtle strikes as defenders focus on the ball up top.

He’s unlikely to be a primary option on offense next season, but with all the pick-and-rolls Michigan could run, he could benefit from kick-out passes from Michigan guards.

Transfers – Guards

Roddy Gayle Jr.

As May mentioned at a press conference after the transfer portal closed, Gayle’s three-point percentage was not particularly high last season (28.4 percent). The year before, he made nearly 43 percent of his threes on about half of his attempts.

One positive aspect of this chart is that Gayle is incredibly efficient at the basket, especially for a guard who is only 6’4″. He attacks the basket with authority, and if he can stay efficient at the basket like Kobe Bufkin, the offensive potential increases dramatically.

Tre Donaldson

This is a really interesting shot chart, as Donaldson has been pretty efficient from the free throw line and from the corners (from a small sample size), but he hasn’t made many shots from the wing. Donaldson isn’t as efficient at the basket as Gayle, but thanks to a beautiful floater, he’s made more than half of his shots in the crease.

Donaldson will likely have the ball in his hands a lot as a guard in the pick-and-roll, and with his efficiency in free throw position, he could sink three-pointers off the dribble from that zone.

Ruby Jones

Jones isn’t a standout shooter from every position on the court, but he’s a model of consistency, hitting at least 36 percent of his shots from every position beyond the three-point line. This shot chart speaks to his versatility on offense; he needs to improve in the zone and around the basket, but he can score consistently from pretty much any other position.

Returnees

Will Tschetter

That’s A LOT of red, which is a great thing. Tschetter was one of the few bright spots last season, coming off the bench often and providing a much-needed offensive spark.

Tschetter is the typical role player for the Wolverines. He won’t create many shots, but he sinks open shots, gets good rebounds and can defend multiple positions. That should make him a key link.

Nimari Burnett

Burnett was pretty solid on the right wing, hitting half of his shots with his elbow, most of which were pull-up jumpers, but his efficiency wasn’t great otherwise.

However, I don’t think those mediocre percentages are entirely Burnett’s fault; he was often asked to be a primary shot creator and played a bit of point guard out of necessity, which is a bit too much responsibility for him. I’m excited to see what he can do this season now that he’ll be playing with more true point guards and shot creators. He could shine as a spot-off shooter playing against supporting guards.

Jace Howard

This is the smallest sample size of all returning players, and as you can see, Howard wasn’t particularly efficient from any position on the field, aside from a few hits along the right baseline and in the left corner.

With all the new faces, there’s a good chance Howard will get lost in the rankings. He’d have to play excellent defense and make more catch-and-shoot threes on his way to playing time.