The Michigan basketball team has been inquiring about a number of guard transfers in recent weeks, hoping to fill multiple scholarship openings for its 2020-21 roster. As it turned out, they weren't just doing it for lip service, either.
Less than two days after Purdue transfer Nojel Eastern hit the transfer portal, he committed to the Wolverines via Twitter. Eastern, a 6-foot-7, 225-pound guard, has averaged 5.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game for the Boilermakers, standing out on defense and starting 62 games the last two seasons. While his shooting and assertiveness have been inconsistent at the college level, Eastern is one of the top transfer targets in the portal.
Eastern turned some heads on Tuesday, entering the transfer portal despite presumably owning a starting role with Purdue his senior season. Barring a waiver going through, Eastern is expected to sit out one season before playing his fifth and final season in 2021-22.
A former top-100 recruit in the 2017 class, Eastern chose Purdue over Michigan State, Michigan and a host of other offers. Hailing from Evanston, Illinois, Eastern was recruited by John Beilein and visited Michigan's campus. In six games against Michigan, Eastern has averaged 4.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
Speaking on Dan Dakich's radio show Wednesday, Purdue coach Matt Painter sounded off on Eastern's decision to transfer, seeming to imply that Eastern quit on the Boilermakers' process and took a step back as a junior. Eastern has also entered the NBA Draft for evaluations the past two seasons.
“You look at the guards, we’ve taken some guards that not all of them were highly decorated guys in high school that were pretty productive players for us,” Painter said. “Dakota Mathias, Ryan Cline, P.J. Thompson, Carsen Edwards. When you look at the people that have been here when Nojel’s been here, and then you take a step back — Eric Hunter and Sasha Stefanovic I thought made really good jumps from their freshman to sophomore years this year. If you look at them, you say, ‘All those guys improved, and then you didn’t improve.’ He made a really good jump — Nojel — from his freshman to sophomore year, then he took a step back this year. … I don’t know what to say there, because now you’ve become the outlier.”
Due to Eastern's defense, athleticism and experience, he could help Michigan whichever season he is eligible. In 2020-21, he could complement Franz Wagner and Isaiah Livers on the wing, and help defend opposing guards and wing players. If he was tasked with sitting a season, he could help bridge the gap between a veteran 2020-21 team and what would likely be a young 2021-22 squad.
Share This Post
