Is Morez Johnson Jr. going to return to Michigan for his junior season or pursue a pro career?
That stay-or-go decision is still to be determined.
According to multiple reports, Johnson has declared for the NBA Draft while maintaining his eligibility. He will have until the NCAA’s early entry withdrawal deadline on May 27 to determine his next step.
Friday’s news came on the same day as the early entry deadline, which marked the last day for players to declare for the draft.
After primarily coming off the bench during a promising freshman season at Illinois, Johnson transferred to Michigan, was part of a three-big starting lineup with Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara, and expanded his game.
“The transfer portal helps out a lot of people, especially me, coming from a program where I didn't play that much at and I felt restricted,” Johnson said during the NCAA Tournament. “Coming here with Coach (Dusty) May, I started to love basketball again. It was fun.”
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Johnson, 20, improved in nearly statistical category with Wolverines. He averaged 13.1 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, marks that ranked second and first, respectively, on the team. He posted nine double-doubles, including a 12-point, 10-rebound effort in the national title win over UConn.
His shooting numbers went up across the board — 65.8% on 2-pointers and 78.2% on free throws — and he knocked down 34.3% of his 3-pointers (12-for-35) after not attempting a deep ball last season.
“He's earned the right to do what he does based on his work,” May said during the NCAA Tournament. “He's incredibly consistent and thorough with everything that he does. This summer when he shot 3s, they didn't go in very often, and he continued to work on his balance, the rhythm of the shot and his mechanics.
“There are certain times this year where I was actually disappointed when he would turn one down because we felt so confident in his shooting ability and in his decision-making with the ball. … Him and Aday have both given us real lineup versatility because of their ability to dribble, pass, and now adding a jump shot to that.”
May praised Johnson for being a great screener and called him one of the team’s “absolute psycho competitors,” which is something the team needed. Another thing Johnson brought was a relentless motor and plenty of toughness, the latter being something May felt the team didn’t have enough of last season.
He’s physical in the post on both ends and is willing to do the dirty work. His strength and athleticism made him efficient at finishing on lobs, putbacks and low-post opportunities. His versatility and switchability made him a huge asset on the nation’s best defense. He could play bigger than his size (6-foot-9) in the post and had the foot speed to effectively guard out on the perimeter.
When asked what he’s been able to show more of as a player this season, Johnson replied: “Everything. I think I’ve improved overall everywhere, from every category.”
Johnson is viewed as a late first-round draft pick in mock draft projections by Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, ESPN, The Athletic and Yahoo! Sports. In a recent interview with NBC Chicago, Johnson said “there’s no rush” to go to the NBA if he doesn’t receive a first-round guarantee from a team.
“If I can’t get that this year, I know I can get it next year,” he said. “I have no issue coming back to Michigan and trying to repeat.”
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Michigan Wolverines' Morez Johnson Jr. declares for NBA Draft