Ex-Michigan guard Carlton Brundidge will transfer to University of Detroit
All three of the Michigan basketball program's recent transfers appear to have found new homes.
And the final player won't be traveling too far for his next destination.
Former Michigan guard Carlton Brundidge announced via Twitter on Thursday night that he will transfer to the University of Detroit to play for coach Ray McCallum.
"I just signed with UofD Iam a Titan now," Brundidge wrote.
Carlton Brundidge (2) appeared in just 15 games during his freshman season at Michigan, scoring six points in 44 minutes of action. He announced Thursday that he'll transfer to the University of Detroit.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
Brundidge was one of three players who opted to leave John Beilein's program after the 2011-12 season.
Forward Evan Smotrycz will continue his career at Maryland, while forward Colton Christian has decided to transfer to Florida International.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Brundidge came to Michigan with lofty expectations. He was rated a four-star prospect and the No. 106 player in the 2011 class by Rivals.com -- ahead of eventual co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year Trey Burke.
But Brundidge's promise never turned into consistent minutes during his first and only year in Ann Arbor. The Southfield High School product appeared in just 15 games for the Wolverines, tallying six points in 44 minutes of action.
Brundidge appeared close to cracking Beilein's rotation in mid-December, getting a season-high 13 minutes in a win over Alabama A&M.
"(This season) has been kind of tough," Brundidge said at the time. "But talking to my friends back home and talking with my dad, my brother and my sister, they helped me stay positive.
"And that's one thing that will always be there in my game, I'm always positive."
As the season wore on, it became clear that if Brundidge was going to find playing time, it would have to be as a backup point guard to Burke. Both seniors Zack Novak and Stu Douglass were far ahead of him on the depth chart at the shooting guard position.
A natural shooting guard, Brundidge appeared in five Big Ten games -- but never saw any extended minutes.
After the season, Beilein acknowledged that Michigan didn't expect to have three players leave the program, but did admit that it appears to be just another part of the game.
"We didn't expect all those transfers," he said at the time. "But it happened. We move on so quickly and we just move forward.
"Just like a guy getting his fourth or fifth foul, right? We have to put somebody else in the game."
Brundidge will presumably have to sit out next season for the Titans, per NCAA transfer rules.
Detroit -- which is paced by highly-touted point guard Ray McCallum Jr. -- went 22-14 last season and advanced to its first NCAA Tournament since 1999.
Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.
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Comments
boo
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 9:31 p.m.
Brundidge didn't belong here. he was an early commit because his star rose so quickly after his sophomore year. but he never became a better player from that point on and michigan was "stuck" with his verbal commitment. if they could have gotten out of it, they would have before he ever stepped foot on campus. But that is not Beilein's way. he didn't want to "discourage" him from coming in. But they certainly hoped he would have gone somewhere else from the beginning. it would have ben better for both of them.
rocco
Sun, Jun 17, 2012 : 5:45 p.m.
Brundidge was ranked higher than Trey Burke when he arrived in AA. Beilein will never be able to explain away Smotrycz. Colton Christian was division III from day one. There is some poor recruiting and player development buried in the uphoria of the new recruiting classes. So let's see how they fare. NC State will be a good test because their freshman class rivals ours -- many feel it way better.
Billy Bob Schwartz
Sat, Jun 16, 2012 : 12:49 a.m.
Good luck to all three. They looked good in the Maize and Blue, but Coach Beilein has an embarrassment of riches, and that's the way it goes sometimes. I hope they all fit well with their new teams.
MRunner73
Fri, Jun 15, 2012 : 2:38 p.m.
I hope he does well at the U of D, good luck to him.
braggslaw
Fri, Jun 15, 2012 : 1:30 p.m.
He was not big ten material. He lacked a jumper and a handle. He was a power forward in a point guard body.