Over the last few years, we’ve borrowed an idea from Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch to roll out our season preview player profiles in a power-ranking format. We’ll preview every player on the roster while ranking them by some arbitrary combination of ability, importance, and role.
We’re bringing the same thing back this season. I ranked each scholarship player (1 through 13) based on their expected impact on the 2025-26 season, and we’ll dive into each player in-depth as we near tip-off.
Next up is sixth-year wing Nimari Burnett.
Previously: No. 6 Roddy Gayle Jr., No. 7 LJ Cason, No. 8 Trey McKenney, No. 9 Will Tschetter, No. 10 Winters Grady, No. 11 Oscar Goodman, No. 12 Malick Kordel and No. 13 Ricky Liburd
No. 5: Nimari Burnett
#4 | 6-5, 195 pounds | Graduate | Wing
It’s trendy to focus on what’s wrong with college basketball in the transfer portal and NIL era, but there are plenty of stories about players who finally found success and happiness, too. Nimari Burnett is one of those stories.
Burnett, who was recruited by Michigan when John Beilein was still coaching, has been through just about everything in his college journey. This will be his sixth year in college. He’s played for four different coaches at three schools and has battled through multiple significant injuries.
After four years of college basketball, he linked up with Dusty May and played the best basketball of his life, averaging 9.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 26.4 minutes per game for the Wolverines last season.
It took struggle, disappointment, and yes, even a few transfers, but Burnett found himself at Michigan last season.
“Coach May coming to Michigan and implementing his style of basketball, it changed my life,” Burnett said at Big Ten Media Day. “It changed the trajectory of my collegiate career.”
He suffered through the disappointment and frustration of 8-24 in a Michigan uniform, logging over 1,000 minutes for one of the worst Michigan teams ever, and decided to stay and run it back under a new coach that he didn’t choose. He was rewarded with a Big Ten Tournament Championship, a Sweet Sixteen and one of his best individual seasons.
Now, Burnett is back for one more season with the chance to finish his career where he belongs.
Strengths
3-point shooting
Burnett had a career-best 3-point shooting season last year. He connected on 40% of his triples, shooting 66-of-165 from deep. He hit career highs in every 3-point category: volume (165 attempts, 66% 3PA/FGA), makes (66), and percentage (40%).
Burnett opened the year on a torrid pace, making 51% of his threes (on 71 attempts) over Michigan’s first 17 games before cooling off in the back half of the season (32% on 94 attempts).
Entering this season, he’s the most impressive returning shooter on the roster and should take on a similar role.
Burnett’s shot chart is the model of efficiency, and even his 3-point profile is heavy on more efficient shots. He was 58-of-95 on catch-and-shoot threes, 8-of-13 on off-the-dribble threes, and 20-of-45 on transition threes.
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