Michigan basketball's George Washington III plans to enter transfer portal

It didn’t take long for the Michigan men’s basketball program to record its first portal entry.

Guard George Washington III plans to enter the transfer portal when it officially opens on Monday, he confirmed to The Detroit News on Sunday. He’s also keeping open the option to return.

Washington’s decision comes three days after the Wolverines wrapped up an 8-24 campaign with a season-ending loss in the first round of the Big Ten tournament and two days after the program fired Juwan Howard as its head coach.

“I want to thank Wolverine Nation for the support and great moments over this past year," Washington wrote in an Instagram post. "Coach Howard and staff, thank you for providing me with the opportunity to wear the blue and maize! The time I’ve spent with my brothers and coaches has been set in stone in my story forever.

"While this is not how I imagined my time at Michigan to be like, I want to continue to keep my options open as God works his magic on my life. After thoughtful prayer and discussions with my family, I’ve decided to enter the transfer portal with the option to return to Michigan for the ’24-25 season."

Washington, the lone freshman on the roster, appeared in 22 games and averaged 6.5 minutes per contest. The 6-foot-2, 170-pounder tallied 26 points, seven rebounds and six assists while shooting 18.5% from the field (5-for-27).

Washington struggled to crack the rotation and carve out a consistent role as a true freshman. Most of his contributions came late in games when the outcome was already decided, and his best outing came when he scored 10 points in 12 minutes in a blowout loss at Purdue on Jan. 23.

A former top-100 recruit, he committed to Michigan in November 2022 after decommitting from Ohio State.

Washington is the first player on Michigan’s roster to enter the portal and likely won’t be the last, given the coaching change and the team’s historically bad season.

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

@jamesbhawkins