Report: West Virginia transfer Jose Perez visiting Michigan this month

Juwan Howard and the Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball program will be hosting former West Virginia guard Jose Perez from July 28-30, according to college basketball insider Trilly Donovan.

With all the departures this offseason and a one-player 2023 class, the Wolverines still have two open scholarships for the 2023-24 season. This late into the offseason — most teams, including the Wolverines, have already reported to campus — Perez is one of the best available options out of the portal.

Perez started his career at Gardner-Webb, where he averaged a bit more than 15 points per game his two seasons there. He then played one season at Marquette in 2020-21, appearing in 10 games and averaging 3.1 points and 11.3 minutes per game.

He then transferred again to Manhattan for the 2021-22 season, where he led the Jaspers in scoring (18.9 points per game, eight points more than the second-leading scorer) and averaged 3.2 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

Before last season, he transferred to West Virginia after Manhattan’s coach was let go, but he sat out all of the 2022-23 season after being denied a waiver from the NCAA to play immediately. Because of the Mountaineers’ coaching change, he was able to enter the portal again.

Perez is far from the most efficient player, but in his most recent games at Manhattan, he showed off a solid ability to score. He’s not going to blow by defenders, but he’s shifty and can finish near the rim or from mid-range thanks to his craftiness. Think Dillon Brooks without the WWE villain persona.

It seems fair to say Big Ten teams are much harder to score on than teams in the MAAC, but Perez dominated in that conference. His senior season in 2021-22, he led the MAAC in scoring, was a first-team All-MAAC selection and was second-team All-District by the NABC. He was a prolific scorer in that conference, with his career-high of 38 points coming against Niagara.

Looking at the current roster, the Wolverines could use another guard, especially after Caleb Love’s decommitment. If he comes to Ann Arbor, Perez would be the fourth transfer the Wolverines have landed this season, joining guard Nimari Burnett and forwards Tray Jackson and Olivier Nkamhoua.

It’s been an eventful offseason for the Wolverines when it comes to the portal, and it’s not over yet. Stay with Maize n Brew for more updates regarding the basketball program.