Michigan basketball has landed its second commitment out of the Transfer Portal this offseason, with former Illinois forward Morez Johnson Jr. announcing his pledge to the Wolverines.
Johnson, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound freshman from Riverdale, Illinois, is set to join the Michigan basketball program as a sophomore in 2025-26 after spending one year in Champaign, Illinois, with the Fighting Illini.
The newest Michigan Wolverine was a four-star recruit in the class of 2024. He was the 27th-ranked player in the country, according to Rivals. Johnson was a longtime verbal commit to Brad Underwood and the Fighting Illini, being committed for more than two years before officially signing his National Letter of Intent.
During his lone season in Champaign, Johnson played In 30 of the team's 35 games and logged eight starts. In the 30 games he played in, Johnson averaged 17.7 minutes per game, with 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds.
He shot 64.2 percent from the floor on 4.0 shots per game. He also knocked down 61.8 percent of his free throw attempts.
With Vlad Goldin gone due to exhausted eligibility and Danny Wolf likely on his way to the NBA, Johnson is a big pickup for a Michigan team that will somehow need to replace its two leading scorers from the 2024-25 season.
Johnson, the fourth-ranked power forward in the Rivals recruiting class of 2024, has a lot of upside and a very high ceiling that he could reach with the Maize and Blue. He should slot in as a starter for Michigan in 2025-26.
---
Discuss this article with our community on our premium message boards
Not a subscriber to Maize & Blue Review? Sign up today to gain access to all the latest Michigan intel M&BR has to offer
Follow our staff on Twitter: @JoshHenschke, @Berry_Seth14, @TrevorMcCue, @DennisFithian, @BrockHeilig, @JimScarcelli, @Jerry_Diorio
Subscribe to our podcasts: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify
Check out Maize & Blue Review's video content on YouTube
Follow Maize & Blue Review on social media: Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and BlueSky
