Michigan basketball announces addition of grad transfers Nimari Burnett and Tray Jackson

One day after Michigan basketball brought in a graduate transfer, the program announced two more have officially joined the program.

Nimari Burnett, a 6-foot-4 guard, and Tray Jackson, a 6-10 forward, signed with the Wolverines on Thursday, more than a month after they made their verbal commitments this offseason.

Burnett, who spent the past two seasons at Alabama, was the first to make his pledge on March 30, two days after he entered the transfer portal.

"I'm very excited to become a part of the Michigan program," Burnett said in a statement. "This is a great opportunity for me to learn from someone of Juwan (Howard's) caliber as well as from some of the best basketball minds in the country. I have heard so much about the Maize and Blue faithful and I am really looking forward to interacting with them, the Maize Rage and all the students on campus. If all goes well, we could all have a special year."

Burnett started nine games for the Crimson Tide last season before missing time with a wrist injury. He averaged 5.6 points and two rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game while shooting 32.1% from 3-point range.

A former McDonald's All-American and top-40 recruit, Burnett was recruited by Michigan coming out of California's Prolific Prep and listed the Wolverines among his finalists. However, he picked Texas Tech and spent his freshman season with the Red Raiders before transferring to Alabama.

"I have watched and gotten to know Nimari for several years," coach Juwan Howard said in a statement. "He has that 'feel' for the game that is just unique. This is why he has continued to excel on both ends of the floor. We also love his length, toughness and passion for the game. Nimari's work ethic and leadership is off the charts. We can't wait for him to get here."

Jackson, a Detroit native, made his pledge a week after Burnett on April 7. While he didn't have the same familiarity with Howard like Burnett, Jackson couldn't pass up on the chance to close out his college career close to home after spending the past three years at Seton Hall.

"When the opportunity to continue my career came up, I knew it was something I wanted to explore," Jackson said in a statement. "When Juwan called, the chance to play under him, and do that in my home state and near my family, made it an easy decision. I want to make an impact, but I also want to serve and do whatever I can to help this program be successful."

Jackson spent much of his high school career at Detroit Western International before he spent a prep year at Sunrise Christian Academy in Kansas. He started his college career at Missouri before he landed at Seton Hall.

During his time with the Pirates, Jackson predominately came off the bench and spent his first two years playing for former coach Kevin Willard. In 2021-22, he played in all 32 games, made 18 starts and averaged 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game to help the Pirates reach the NCAA Tournament.

After Willard left to take over at Maryland, Jackson stayed at Seton Hall and spent his senior season playing a reserve role for first-year coach Shaheen Holloway. He saw less playing time, didn't start and averaged 6.5 points and 2.2 rebounds in 14.6 minutes over 29 games.

"Tray's experiences, leadership and versatility makes him a very important addition for us," Howard said in a statement. "We want him to continue to develop and grow his game, but we also need him to help his brothers with their games and skill sets. We just love his adaptability, which creates positive outcomes on both ends of the floor. He brings so much energy and has a great mind for the game."

Jackson, a stretch forward who shot 38.9% from 3-point range the past two seasons, and Burnett, who missed the entire 2021-22 season with a knee injury, will be counted on to make an immediate impact at Michigan, where plenty of roles and minutes are up for grabs.

Thursday's announcement came one day after the program landed another grad transfer from the portal — forward Olivier Nkamhoua, who spent the past four seasons at Tennessee. The Wolverines have two open scholarships remaining for next season and could still be looking to bring in more transfers to round out the 2023-24 roster.

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Twitter: @jamesbhawkins