FORT MYERS, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 19: Montverde Academy’s Caleb Houstan # 22 in action against Sanford School during City of Palms Classic Day 2 at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on December 19, 2019 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves / Getty Images)
Michigan basketball had two players drafted in Thursday’s NBA Draft and that trend is expected to continue next year in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Looking back on the last 10 NBA Draft, Michigan basketball produced 12 picks, including nine in the first round.
Not only is this one of the best numbers in the country, but it’s the highest number in the Big Ten, as Michigan’s basketball top nine picks far exceed Indiana and the State of Michigan, who both have five.
Of course, Michigan doesn’t just send players to the NBA, it’s also won a lot over the past decade. Michigan has played two National Championship games, four Elite 8 appearances and six Sweet 16 trips.
Franz Wagner became the ninth pick in the first round when he was selected 8th overall by the Magic, but he didn’t go as high as Tractor Traylor in 1998. Isaiah Livers was the second drafted when Detroit took him. selected at the start of the second round and according to some fictitious drafts, the output for UM could be very similar in 2022.
The Bleacher Report and ESPN mock drafts put new freshman Caleb Houstan in the top 10. ESPN places him fifth, while B / R places him 8th among Spurs:
“Caleb Houstan looks set for a productive first-year season after averaging 17.0 points in the Under-19 World Cup and leading Canada to the semi-finals. He is expected to replace Isaiah Livers and Franz Wagner on the Michigan wing. The 6’8 ”, 205-pound Houstan stands out for its stance size and forward shooting, and it has become a threatening scorer driving through fences and converting body-controlled finishes. He will enter the draft with a three and D label and a high floor, with scouts hoping for more development from him as a creator.
Playmaker DeVante Jones is also set to be drafted by ESPN in 58th overall and former Player of the Year Sun Belt will be another key addition to the Wolverines.
Two other names that could spark NBA Draft buzz are sophomore big man Hunter Dickinson and big freshman Moussa Diabate. Moussa has tons of advantages and his performance as a freshman will be critical, although he looks more like a two-year-old who is then a first-round player.
Dickinson tested the waters of the NBA Draft but decided to return to Michigan basketball. He has to show he can score low with both hands, especially against guys like Kofi Cockburn. The 7-foot-1 center should also show his jumper.
He was working on extending his shot and he was a good long-range shooter before coming to Michigan, so he just needs to show the NBA scouts that he has this club up his sleeve.
If Dickinson can do it, Michigan basketball could have three or maybe even four players chosen in 2022.
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