Michigan coach Juwan Howard already dipped into the transfer portal to add one piece to next season's roster.
On Friday, Howard made two more portal additions and landed some much-needed talent, as North Carolina transfer Caleb Love and Seton Hall grad transfer Tray Jackson announced their commitments to the Wolverines on social media.
Love, a 6-foot-3 guard, and Jackson, a 6-10 forward, will help address needs for a Michigan team that has experienced significant losses in the backcourt and frontcourt this offseason.
Following the departures of junior center Hunter Dickinson, sophomore guard Kobe Bufkin and freshman wing Jett Howard — last season's top three scorers — the Wolverines were in desperate need of scoring, and Love certainly provides that.
Love was a double-digit scorer during his three years at North Carolina and averaged 16.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game for the Tar Heels last season. But, as a volume scorer and sporadic shooter, he's experienced dizzying highs and lows throughout his career.
He was woefully inefficient and shot 31.6% from the field during his first year in Chapel Hill. He improved his shooting numbers across the board during a sophomore campaign where he was named to the All-NCAA Tournament team and had several big-time performances during North Carolina's run to the national-title game in 2022.
Last season, though, was more of a repeat of his freshman year, as he shot 29.9% on seven 3-point attempts per game for a Tar Heels team that began the season ranked No. 1 and missed March Madness. Despite his inconsistencies, Love, a 31.7% career 3-point shooter who averaged 14.6 points in 101 games at North Carolina, is still an explosive offensive player and was one of the most talented guards in the portal.
Jackson's pledge, which occurred roughly an hour before Love's, isn't quite as splashy. After starting his college career at Missouri, Jackson spent the last three seasons at Seton Hall and predominately came off the bench.
During his time with the Pirates, Jackson spent his first two years playing for former coach Kevin Willard. After appearing in three games in 2020-21, he played in all 32 games, made 18 starts and averaged 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game to help the Pirates reach the NCAA Tournament in 2022.
This past season, though, Jackson took on a reduced role in a new system under first-year coach Shaheen Holloway. He saw less playing time, didn't start at all and averaged 6.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 14.6 minutes over 29 games.
The move will be a homecoming of sorts and the final stop of Jackson's college career. He's originally from Detroit and spent much of his high school career at Detroit Western International before spending a prep year at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas.
"I chose Michigan because it's close to home and it means a lot for me to be able to come and play in front of my family," Jackson told On3. "I chose Coach Howard because of his experience being around the game at a high level, but also the vision he has for my development on and off the court."
Love, a three-year starter, figures to slide into the two-guard spot that was primarily held by Bufkin, while Jackson, a stretch-four who shot 38.9% from 3-point range (49 for 126) the past two seasons, will look to play a larger role and help solidify a power forward position that was a revolving door for Michigan last season.
In addition to Love and Jackson, the Wolverines picked up Alabama guard Nimari Burnett in the transfer portal last week.
