Michigan basketball lands Princeton transfer guard Jaelin Llewellyn

Michigan coach Juwan Howard has dipped into the transfer portal and added a veteran guard for the third year in a row.

Jaelin Llewellyn, a 6-foot-2 combo guard from Princeton who visited Ann Arbor this week, announced his commitment to the Wolverines in a social media post Friday.

Llewellyn, an Ontario native, told On3.com he chose Michigan because of the program's success with transfer guards and for the fact it was closer to home.

“Michigan is a team that consistently makes a push in the tournament and I want to help do the same, and be a part of something special," Llewellyn told On3.com.

Llewellyn was an All-Ivy League first-team selection this past season, averaging 15.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game. He was the fifth-leading scorer in the conference, scored in double digits 22 times and ranked eighth in the Ivy League in 3-point shooting (38.6%; 64-for-166).

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He spent four years at Princeton — the Ivy League canceled its 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 — and joined the program’s 1,000-point club last season. For his career, Llewellyn was a three-year starter and averaged 14 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 76 games with the Tigers.

He’s a career 32.5% 3-point shooter but his shooting numbers have improved each season. He posted career-best marks from the field (44.6%) and from beyond the arc while leading Princeton to a 23-7 record and the Ivy League regular-season championship in 2021-22.

Llewellyn was a top-100 recruit in the 2018 class and hails from Mississauga, Ontario, the same town as Michigan freshman forward Caleb Houstan and former Wolverine Nik Stauskas. He entered the transfer portal in mid-March and initially committed to Clemson earlier this month, only to back off his pledge when some assistant coaches left the program.

Howard has turned to the portal each of the past two seasons to add a veteran piece in grad transfer guards Mike Smith (Columbia) and DeVante’ Jones (Coastal Carolina). He continued that streak with Llewellyn, who will provide experience to a backcourt that lost its starters — Eli Brooks and Jones — and will include sophomores-to-be Frankie Collins and Kobe Bufkin as well as incoming freshman point guard Dug McDaniel.

As it stands, Michigan’s roster is in a state of flux. Freshman forward Moussa Diabate and Houstan are both going through the NBA pre-draft process while maintaining their eligibility. If both return, Llewellyn’s addition would push the Wolverines one over the allotted limit of 13 scholarships.

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @jamesbhawkins