Reports: North Carolina transfer Caleb Love no longer heading to Michigan basketball

A rough offseason has gotten worse for Michigan basketball.

One month after making a splash and receiving a commitment from North Carolina transfer Caleb Love, the Wolverines received a dose of bad news.

Love, one of the top guards in the transfer portal this offseason, won’t be heading to Ann Arbor after all. According to multiple reports, Love backed off his verbal pledge with the Wolverines and re-opened his recruitment on Wednesday.

There were rumblings in recent weeks that Love, a former McDonald’s All-American who scored over 1,400 points in three seasons at North Carolina, was wavering and might not end up at Michigan. He took to social media to shoot those rumors down.

“Yes, I will play for Michigan next year! Stay tuned! Go Blue,” Love tweeted on May 4.

However, those rumblings proved to be true and Love, who announced his commitment to Michigan on April 7, won’t be joining the Wolverines. The decommitment appears to be related to an admissions issue, as Love didn’t have the subsequent credits to transfer in, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander.

The Wolverines had a similar issue last offseason when they were recruiting portal target Terrence Shannon Jr., who ultimately ended up at Illinois. Similarly in June 2020, Purdue transfer Nojel Eastern had to decommit from Michigan after he failed to clear admissions and was unable to enroll at the university.

Love, who was the Wolverines’ biggest transfer grab this offseason and looked to be a major addition in next season’s backcourt, joins that list and provides another blow to a Michigan team that’s had a brutal few months.

Without Love, Michigan’s roster has a need for proven scorers and perimeter playmakers after losing wing Jett Howard and guard Kobe Bufkin to the NBA Draft, as well as center Hunter Dickinson’s transfer to Kansas.

The Wolverines reportedly hosted former Toledo guard RayJ Dennis, the Mid-American Conference player of the year, last week and he is a possible replacement to fill the vacancy that Love leaves behind. Dennis averaged 19.6 points and 5.8 assists last season and is also considering Illinois, Baylor and others.

But after losing Love, Michigan heads back to the drawing board with three open scholarships for 2023-24, two transfer portal commitments — from Alabama guard Nimari Burnett and Seton Hall forward Tray Jackson — and limited options available in the transfer portal.

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @jamesbhawkins