Elliot Cadeau has officially withdrawn from the NBA Draft and will be back to lead the Wolverines next season.
The move was expected and was reported on Saturday by CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, citing Cadeau’s agent Drew Gross of WME Sports.
Cadeau, the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player, agreed to a deal last month to return for his senior season and a second year at Michigan before he opted to declare for the draft while maintaining his college eligibility.
Yet, Cadeau’s decision to go through the pre-draft process was simply to gather intel and see where he stood in the eyes of NBA teams.
“Elliot has been the most clear saying that he wanted to use this to get feedback, to have a positive experience,” coach Dusty May said last month.
“If he wants to go see what a workout is like to prepare himself for next year, to get to hear what our future employers are going to say about us, then I’m fully supportive of him.”
Unlike teammates Morez Johnson Jr., Yaxel Lendeborg and Aday Mara, Cadeau was not invited to the NBA Draft combine. He reportedly received an invite for the G League combine but seemingly declined to participate in that pre-draft showcase.
Cadeau, who spent his first two college seasons at North Carolina, was one of three Wolverines to start all 40 games last season. He led the team with 5.9 assists while averaging a career-high 10.5 points and shooting a career-best 37.6% from 3-point range.
The 6-foot-1 point guard was a driving force in Michigan’s run to its first national title since 1989. He tallied 13 points and 10 assists in the Final Four win over Arizona and tied his career high with 19 points in the national championship game win over UConn.
Cadeau is slotted to start in the backcourt next season alongside sophomore guard Trey McKenney, another key returning piece from Michigan’s national title team.
“With Elliot, the NBA Draft process was very beneficial for him. He was able to get some feedback, go to some individual workouts, and be prepared to go through the full experience next year,” May told national college basketball reporter Andy Katz at the combine this week.
“I think with him and Trey, I can’t think of a better one-two punch in the entire country, let alone in the Big Ten. Both of those guys will be as good as any. … Those guys, their impact defensively and offensively, they should be able to lead us back into contention.”
jhawkins@detroitnews.com
@jamesbhawkins
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Elliot Cadeau withdraws from NBA Draft to return to Michigan
