Khani Rooths, one of the best forwards in the nation, is back in the market. The No. 35 overall talent in the class of 2024, Rooths, has announced his departure from Michigan, citing the Wolverines’ Big-10 last-place finish and head coach Juwan Howard’s resignation.
Before deciding to commit to Michigan, Rooths visited and thought about attending a number of universities, including Florida State, Georgia, Mississippi State, and Virginia Tech. Programs around the nation will be very interested in Rooths when they start assessing the transfer portal that launched today. Rooths, who is unlikely to make a choice anytime soon, will still have the Wolverines as an option in the future.
In an earlier interview with 247Sports, Rooths stated, “I need to see who the new head coach will be, the players that are leaving, staying, who I’ll be there with, and the way the coach sees me.” “With Michigan, I have to start from scratch because there are all new staff members.”
In addition, Rooths mentioned how close he is to guard Dug McDaniel, a sophomore who signed on to the transfer site earlier today.
“I have a tight bond with the guys,” he remarked. “I texted Tarris Reed and Doug (McDaniel), my big cousins, and neither of them knew what was going on. They and I are in the same boat.
Right now, the Wolverines have signed two players for the class of 2024: three-star guard Durral Brooks and four-star point guard Christian Anderson.
A scouting report on Rooths was given by Eric Bossi, national basketball director of 247Sports.
On a strong IMG squad as a junior, Rooths had a better chance of fitting in. He played defense in a one-through-four rotation, contributed on the glass, grabbed a rebound, and helped the team break away in transition. He was more of a secondary scorer and occasionally needed some prodding to be more aggressive on the offensive end, even though he would definitely look to score.
When Rooths competed on the Adidas 3SSB circuit in the summer of 2023, he significantly improved. Frequently, he would find himself holding the ball and trying to reach the rim. Though he doesn’t exactly fly high, he has a lot of bounce and, more significantly, is a real mover who can be athletic in confined places and quick on the lateral end. Despite his slight build, he possesses wiry strength and a frame designed to support a heavier weight without compromising his quickness.
Synergy gave Rooths credit for team highs in points (15.6) and rebounds (5.5) during the intense summer of 2023. His ability to drive for his size is his greatest asset. Bigger opponents find it difficult to stop his first stride, and if he is defended by a lesser perimeter player, his size becomes too much to handle. But as a shooter, he still has a lot of opportunity to improve. Rooths made 41.1% of his shots overall and 31.4% of his three-pointers. Even though his shooting percentages aren’t very high, he still has a good shot; all he needs to do is try to do a bit less off the dribble and recognize better shots.
Rooths still needs to work on his shot selection, but he can also become a better passer. He can see things, but he can also be a touch sloppy with the ball. In the summer, he had a negative assist to turnover ratio. Even if he should exercise greater caution, handling the ball a bit more than he probably should has contributed to some of those turnovers.