Wolverines Add Smith, Brown as Transfers for 2020-21
6/24/2020 4:22:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan David and Meredith Kaplan head men's basketball coach Juwan Howard announced Wednesday (June 24) the additions of Columbia's Mike Smith as a graduate transfer and Wake Forest's Chaundee Brown as a transfer.
Both have been admitted to the university with Smith having immediate eligibility, while U-M is assessing the potential for a NCAA waiver for Brown.
"We are always striving to find the best people to come in and help this program on and away from the basketball court," said Howard. "Both Mike and Chaundee are experienced players, experienced leaders and dedicated to academics. Frankly, they are just two wonderful young men. They are the perfect fit for the culture we are building here, and we are counting the days until they arrive in Ann Arbor."
"I'm excited for this opportunity to become a Wolverine," said Smith. "Columbia was such an amazing experience and journey. I know I will cherish it for the rest of my life. The opportunity to play one more season and further my education at the University of Michigan was something I couldn't pass up. I am very excited to join coach Howard and his great culture. I am ready and willing to do whatever it takes to help this program reach its goals. It's going to be a year to remember!"
"Being able to play and be mentored by Coach Howard is really a dream come true," said Brown. "If you would have said to me 10 years ago I would be attending the University of Michigan and playing for Juwan Howard, I would have laughed. He knows the game of basketball well, as he played for U-M and played in the NBA for such a long time. This helps him understand both sides of being a player and having a coaching style, which is such a blessing. Joining such a prestigious basketball program like Michigan really excites me in so many ways. Coming to a new city, meeting new fans, joining new coaches and players is a wonderful feeling. I am definitely ready for this new journey."
After graduating with a degree in sociology in 2020, Smith will use his graduate year to transfer to Michigan after a medical redshirt in 2018-19 due to a knee injury. A two-time All-Ivy League second team (2018, '20) honoree, he started 91 of 92 games and compiled 1,653 career points, which ranks fourth all-time at Columbia.
The Burr Ridge, Illinois, native posted 78 career games in double figures with 43 20-plus point games and seven 30-plus point games. As a freshman, he set Columbia's single-season first-year scoring record (368 points in 2016-17) and closed ranked No. 2 in total points for a senior (684 in 2019-20). In addition to his scoring, Smith ranks second all-time at Columbia with 393 assists. His 134 assists in 2019-20 are the seventh-best single-season tally in Columbia history, while his 124 as a sophomore (2017-18) rank 10th.
Brown comes to Ann Arbor after spending three seasons under Danny Manning at Wake Forest. Following Manning being relieved of his head coaching duties and exploring the NBA Draft, Brown elected to transfer from Wake Forest. He started 74 of 84 games and averaged 10.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists.
The consensus four-star recruit in the Class of 2017, Brown tallied 876 total points with 42 double-figure scoring games and 13 20-plus point games, including a career-high 26 points against No. 23 Xavier (Dec. 14, 2019), going 11-for-16 from the field (68.7 percent). He added five double-doubles during his time at Wake Forest.
With the additions of Smith and Brown, the Wolverines have 17 players on their roster.
