Dusty May Sings Praises of Talented Michigan Wolverines Transfer

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nick Meyer | Last updated May 11, 2025 3:29 AM ET

The Michigan Wolverines were avalanched on the defensive glass in their toughest losses of their 2024-2025 campaign under coach Dusty May, as Michigan State and Auburn hammered the Wolverines on the board in tough late season losses.

This offseason brought with it plenty of changes for the Wolverines' roster as center Vladislav Goldin and power forward Dusty May both left Ann Arbor with the NBA their next likely destinations.

May responded by hitting the transfer portal, securing commitments from a trio of big men who could shore up with the Wolverines' biggest weakness next season.

Among them is a former Illinois Fighting Illini power forward who has drawn praise from May this offseason, and may be in line to start for Michigan this fall.

"We were obviously enamored with him because we struggled defensive rebounding," May said to The Wolverine.

"He's a hard worker, and he's going to continue to add and be more involved in the game offensively."

Johnson, who went to high school in Thorntown Township, Illinois near Chicago, will head to Ann Arbor after logging just under 18 minutes per game with the Illini last season.

Johnson made his minutes count, averaging 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting over 64 percent from the field.

He is expected to team with former UCLA center Aday Mara, a shot blocking machine for the Bruins in limited minutes last season, and possibly Yaxel Lendeborg, the nation's top ranked transfer who committed to Michigan but may head for the NBA draft after receiving an invite to the league's pre-draft camp.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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