Cole Bajema names schools that have reached out since entering transfer portal

Cole Bajema surprised Michigan Wolverines fans on Tuesday night when it was announced that he would be hitting the transfer portal after just a single season in Ann Arbor. It appears things are progressing quickly with several schools — namely on the west coast where he is from — reaching out to gauge interest.

“Some of the strong ones have been Gonzaga, Washington, Washington State, Oregon State, BYU, Pepperdine and more,” Bajema told 247Sports.

“I’m just trying to find a school with the right fit and opportunity,” he continued.

Bajema was a four-star prospect and the No. 112 player in the country coming out of high school and committed to John Beilein’s program on Aug. 4, 2018. He re-affirmed his commitment to the program during the transition to Juwan Howard last offseason, but would play in only 10 games and 37 total minutes in his lone season in Ann Arbor.

We mentioned in our writeup on his transfer that it stood to reason staying closer to home might be an option for Bajema:

With Howard recruiting wings as hard as he did in the 2020 cycle and the even bigger need for the 2021 class, one can see why the Bajema camp may have wanted to make a long-term play that may result in more consistent minutes. Plus, he’s a west coast kid and people are scared to be away from family and travel right now. It would make sense if any combination of these things are what contributed to the decision.

Michigan currently has two scholarship spots open for the 2020-21 season, which they could potentially fill by dipping back into the transfer portal themselves. Here are some of the top candidates still on the board.