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Picking up a Michigan men’s basketball program that was in need of a fresh start, Wolverines coach Dusty May had no choice but to attack the transfer portal hard upon his hiring. While the rush to fill out a roster is intense by all means, May found some calm in the storm by narrowing his search. He targeted players from winning programs who have good positional size and can shoot the ball from range.
That search resulted in a duo of towering centers — junior Danny Wolf and graduate Vlad Goldin — alongside a long and physical backcourt group. But the true gem of May’s portal prototype may be sophomore forward Sam Walters. He checks off all the boxes: He was a key member of Alabama’s Final Four run in March as a 6-foot-10 forward and earns his minutes with his deep ball accuracy.
“He just gives you a different dimension, being 6-10 with the ability to space the floor,” May said of Walters at Big Ten Media Days Thursday. “And when you have guys who space the floor like that, you get layups and dunks.”
Walters’ spacing on the exterior will make it easier for the bigs down low offensively, but his height and length will pay dividends defensively as well. While listed as a forward, Walters can still defend shooting guards, small forwards and power forwards with comfort. He’s nimble on his feet and his size is disruptive to any player he matches up with.
It’s a given that Walters can be extremely disruptive on both sides of the court, something May clearly valued in the portal. The question that remained after his arrival in Ann Arbor, though, was what his role with Michigan would actually be. May cleared that up quickly on Thursday.
“The biggest part (where) Sam can impact the game is shooting the basketball,” May said. “He’s got unlimited range. When he walks in the gym, he’s in range. He gets it off quick, and he is confident. If he can see the rim, he’s letting it fly.”
Whatever position Walters ends up filling for most of his time as a Wolverine, getting off threes and spacing the floor to clear the lane for the other bigs will be where he makes his money. Especially in an offensive system like May’s — one that has historically emphasized quick offense and reliance on the deep shot — Walters will be keen to fire at will.
After moving from a solid role with the Crimson Tide to a team of unknowns in Michigan, Walters will have a chance to step into a big role as this team forms — but there is still more work to be done as well.
“He’s getting better defensively, we’re expanding his game,” May said. “We expect him to be a better offensive rebounder than he is today, but he continues to improve and we’re gradually expanding his role, and he’ll be a big part of success this year.”
A swiss army knife of a player on both sides of the ball, Walters could end up being an X-factor for the Wolverines as the season goes on. As May noted, the minutiae of his game need to keep improving, but the intangibles of Walters’ height and length combined with strong shooting set him up as May’s perfect target in the portal. Now those characteristics are what could get him on the court for consistent minutes this season.
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