Michigan officially announces addition of Coastal Carolina transfer DeVante' Jones

It took a while but Coastal Carolina grad transfer DeVante’ Jones has officially joined the Michigan basketball program.

On Thursday, the Wolverines formally announced the addition of Jones, the 2021 Sun Belt Player of the Year who committed in May and withdrew his name from NBA Draft consideration on Monday.

"First of all, I am very excited to get to Ann Arbor," Jones said in a statement. "It felt like it took forever, but being here just a few days was worth the wait. Now that everything is in order, I finally get to get back on the court, compete and get better with my new brothers."

Last season, the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Jones averaged 19.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.8 steals per game, a mark that ranked fourth in the nation. During his three years at Coastal Carolina, Jones started 78 of 81 games while racking up 1,381 points, 460 rebounds and 341 assists.

Jones figures to start in the backcourt alongside fifth-year senior Eli Brooks and take over at point guard, filling the void left behind by Mike Smith. He’ll also share minutes and serve as a mentor to freshman guard Frankie Collins.

During the pre-draft process, sophomore center Hunter Dickinson and Jones played together at the G League Elite Camp and during a workout with the Sacramento Kings.

“Obviously, he's a really good player because of his stats and what he did at Coastal Carolina,” Dickinson said Wednesday, after announcing he was pulling out the draft and returning to Ann Arbor.  

“He's more than just a scorer. I think that's what a lot of people don't know about him yet. He averaged 19 (points) at Coastal Carolina, but when I played with him he was very unselfish and looking for his teammates, making his teammates better. I think that's something Michigan fans will see next year.”

According to the program, Jones will be immediately eligible and will pursue a master’s degree in social work. He graduated with a degree in communications from Coastal Carolina.

Slam dunks

Michigan unveiled its roster for the 2021-22 season and several returning players had changes in weight, compared to what they were listed at the start of last season.

Dickinson is listed at 260, up five pounds from a year ago, while sophomores Zeb Jackson (190) and Jace Howard (220) and senior Adrien Nunez (220) all added 10 pounds. Sophomore Terrance Williams II lost 10 pounds and is listed at 230.

Here are the measurements for Michigan’s top-ranked freshman class: Collins (6-1, 185), guard Kobe Bufkin (6-4, 175), wing Isaiah Barnes (6-7, 185), forward Caleb Houstan (6-8, 205), forward Will Tschetter (6-8, 230) and big man Moussa Diabate (6-11, 210).

… There were no jersey number change among the returning players. For the new faces, Bufkin will wear No. 2, Collins No. 10, Barnes No. 11, Jones No. 12, Diabate No. 14, Houstan No. 22, Tschetter No. 42 and freshman walk-on Ian Burns No. 13.

… While much of coach Juwan Howard’s staff remained intact, the team has a new athletic trainer in Chris Williams, who spent the last two years with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Williams replaces Alex Wong, who left after seven years with the program for a senior director position at the U.S. Council for Athletes’ Health.

… In addition to Brooks, Michigan announced that walk-on forward Jaron Faulds will also use his extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to COVID-19.

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @jamesbhawkins