Michigan senior guard Nimari Burnett is set to play in the Final Four. After a journey that has included three colleges, the former five-star recruit has found a home with the Wolverines. Burnett’s path has been anything but traditional.
Burnett’s Unusual Announcement
Burnett once announced where he would be attending high school at a table in front of a large group of family, friends, videographers and photographers. Referencing LeBron James’ “The Decision,” Burnett announced he would be attending Morgan Park High School. This event occurred in 2017, when Burnett was in middle school. “It’s been a long thought process,” Burnett said at the time.
Burnett described the experience as “a little bit humiliated”. He added that he is now grateful looking back at it.
Burnett’s version of “The Decision” was featured on “Bringing up Ballers,” a Lifetime television show. The show was created by his mother, Nikki Burnett, and was influenced by the success of “Basketball Wives.” Brian Burnett, Nimari’s father, also featured in the show. The premise was to follow the lives of some of the top young athletes in Chicago, mainly through the eyes of their mothers.
A Winding College Career
Burnett’s college basketball career has spanned three schools over six years. This weekend, he will reach its high point at the Final Four with Michigan.
“It’s surreal, like, you see the Final Four [logos] everywhere you go here in Indy — it’s all across the hotel, all across the arena,” Burnett said. “I was walking past, like the area [near the locker room] where it said ‘68, 32, 16…’ and it hit like, we are really here in this moment. It’s something that you never want to take for granted.”
Turbulent Times in Michigan
This Final Four run is the culmination of a rollercoaster three-year stretch for Burnett in Ann Arbor.
Burnett transferred to Michigan from Alabama after the 2022-23 campaign. He became a full-time starter for the first time in his career. However, the 2023-24 season was a difficult one, with the Wolverines finishing with an 8-24 record. That was the first time the program had ended a season with single-digit wins in more than 40 years.
The poor season led to change. Michigan legend Juwan Howard was out as head coach after five years, and Dusty May was brought in.
For the players, the coaching change brought uncertainty. “It was a huge culture shift. Everything was chang