Michigan basketball's sharpshooting Joey Baker to seek 6th year, Jaelin Llewellyn TBD

It was just minutes before the final home game of Michigan basketball's regular season when Joey Baker stood with his parents, sister and coach Juwan Howard around his framed jersey on the Crisler Center court.

A grad transfer from Duke, Baker was the lone player to be honored during the team's senior day, and he lined up for a picture to commemorate the occasion.

That's when his teammates decided to photo bomb his special moment.

One by one, they dove in front of the sharpshooting wing and ran into the frame to pose alongside him. Eventually, it just became a group photo, as the team wanted to commemorate what they all assumed to be the final home game for "the wise owl."

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However, not only did he get one more home game this season, when U-M returned to Crisler Center and beat Toledo 90-80 in the opening round of the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) on Tuesday, if Baker and the Wolverines get their way, he will return for the Wolverines next season.

Baker confirmed after the game he is in the process of applying for a waiver for a sixth year of eligibility.

“We'll see what happens,” he said after Tuesday's game, before he confirmed Michigan is the only place he would play. “If I got it, I’m back here.”

Baker is working to retroactively get back his eligibility from a freshman season at Duke in which the four-star recruit was on track to sit out the season. He hadn't played in the first 26 games before a Zion Williamson injury forced coach Mike Krzyzewski to alter his rotation and burn Baker's redshirt in late February. He played in four games for a total of 18 minutes. He scored three points.

“Michigan is a great school academically, so Joey, being at Duke — academically, he qualifies (for a waiver)," Howard said, holding his hands in a prayer symbol in front of his chest when asked about Baker's chances of being granted another season. “There are also a few other hurdles that we have to dive deep into.

"We’re going to try hard. We’re going to give it our best shot."

Baker played in 85 games in his final three years at Duke, but with the extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic, he chose to spend his fifth year in Ann Arbor.

The 6-foot-7 senior has played in 33 games, shot 40.2% on 3s and averaged 5.6 points in 16 minutes per game, but has gotten more effective as the season gone on. He scored in double-figures just once in the first 19 games, but has done so five times in the last 14.

That includes Tuesday, when he made eight of 11 shots, including five of seven 3-pointers, for a personal high at Michigan of 21 points.

With U-M unsure about how much shooting it will lose next season — Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard are both projected as first-round NBA draft picks — those numbers could become more of the norm should he return.

“We would love to have him back," Howard said. "And not just because of the shooting, but just overall the person. He just fits in the locker room, the guys enjoy playing with him. He's now also opening up, becoming a better leader.

"There were times when you knew — you don't want to step on anyone's toes or it's hard to have those uncomfortable conversations with guys because you want to be liked by them. But at the same time, he understands (what he needs to do), he’s been a big games now and he sees that the guys trust him, that we need his leadership. It'd be nice to have him back next season.”

Llewellyn up in the air as well

Baker wasn't the only transfer to join the Wolverines this season.

Michigan landed Jaelin Llewellyn from the portal after his time at Princeton, but his season ended after just eight games when he tore his ACL at O2 Arena in London against Kentucky in early December.

Llewllyn didn't go through senior day ceremonies, which appeared to leave the door open for a possible return, but Howard said from where he sits, first things first.

"With Jaelin, we want to get him healthy," Howard said. "The young man has gone through some tough injuries; Achilles, now ACL. ... He's such a smart guy but also an all-in kind of person. It would be nice to see Jaelin get healthy, then we'll go from there."

The road has been tough for Llewelyn, who averaged seven points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.8 assists as he adjusted to his new team. He went through a canceled 2020 postseason because of COVID-19, then missed the entire next year because the Ivy League opted out of the 2020-21 season.

When he finally returned to the gym after restrictions were lifted, he tore his Achilles in his first workout.

Over the past three seasons, Llewellyn has played just 36 games.

The return is as much mental as much as physical for Llewellyn, which is why Howard said Tuesday he's been trying to get his senior guard in contact with one of the NBA's brightest stars who has gone through the same setbacks.

"We're trying to get him in contact with Klay Thompson, I'm going to continue to try and work on that," Howard said. "Klay, he's been through it before, understands what it's like dealing with those two tough injuries, the time table, the mental part that really gets to you. (He knows) how you stay dialed-in but also, how you not get to the dark place.

"Jaelin has been great, it's nice to see that he's staying around the guys, around the team. Everyone loves him."

Contact Tony Garcia at apgarcia@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @realtonygarcia.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball's Joey Baker to apply for 6th year of eligibility