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The Michigan Wolverines got some tough news on Monday as fans learned the program would be losing rising junior guard David DeJulius to transfer. While he played off the bench last season, many thought he could be in line to take off for recently departed star guard Zavier Simpson. Juwan Howard and his staff will now have to find a replacement.
Have received confirmation from David DeJulius' high school coach that DeJulius is indeed entering the transfer portal.
— Brendan Quinn (@BFQuinn) April 6, 2020
Averaged 7.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.5 apg as a sophomore. Two years of eligibility remaining for the Detroit native.
More on DeJulius here: https://t.co/aSJOc6m3a9
Before committing to Michigan, DeJulius was rated as a four-star prospect and a top five player in the state of Michigan by 247Sports. Many Wolverine fans hoped he could be the next in a long line of great guards with the program. He had a unique combination of ball handling and perimeter skills.
And while DeJulius was never able to take over a starting spot in his two seasons with Michigan, he did play quite a bit. He averaged 20.9 minutes a game last season and played a bunch down the stretch. DeJulius’ final game was also a notable one, as he scored 20 points on the road against a ranked Maryland team.
With his departure, Michigan has some real questions to answer in the backcourt. With DeJulius and Simpson now gone, the team doesn’t really have a clear answer at point guard. Eli Brooks returns, but there isn’t much certainty elsewhere. Fans will have to hope Howard and his staff can add some more pieces this offseason.
Michigan is still in decent shape going forward, but DeJulius’ loss was certainly a disappointing one. Either way, everyone certainly wishes him the best moving forward.