Caleb Houstan (far left) and Moussa Diabaté (far right) will stay in the NBA draft following their freshmen seasons at Michigan. (Photo: Doug McSchooler | AP)AP

There was frustration from some Michigan men’s basketball fans in light of Wednesday’s news that two of the team’s freshmen, Moussa Diabaté and Caleb Houstan, were staying in the NBA draft.

They were good players for Michigan, good enough to start, but not tremendously productive. Neither led Michigan in any major statistical category. Neither was voted to the All-Big Ten first, second, or third teams, or even given honorable mention.

Both, it would seem, have untapped potential. Potential that won’t be realized at Michigan.

The coaching staff wasn’t caught off guard by Wednesday’s announcements. There are some players for whom the draft decision is obvious; assistant coach Saddi Washington mentioned Franz Wagner declaring last year as an example. It was not so clear-cut for Diabaté or Houstan.

“There’s communication as the guys are gathering information,” Washington told MLive on Thursday. “We’re also trying to help in that process as well. Until there is some finality … we’re kind of in that holding pattern.”

Michigan now has two open scholarships for next season. Washington said that if the fit is right, the transfer portal is a possibility.

Diabaté and Houstan, meanwhile, are betting they’ll hear their names called on June 23. ESPN’s latest mock draft has Houstan getting selected late in the first round, No. 25, and Diabaté going undrafted. Sports Illustrated projects both as second-round picks: Houstan at No. 34 and Diabaté at 44.

Houstan was inconsistent in his lone college season, but a team might take a chance on a 6-foot-8, 19-year-old with a reputation as a good outside shooter. Diabaté is a project, but he’s a great athlete.

It’s also worth noting that as international student-athletes -- Diabaté is from France; Houstan from Canada -- it’s likely neither could capitalize on name, image, and likeness opportunities. Whether that factored into their draft decisions is not known. One of their teammates who chose to return for his junior season, Hunter Dickinson, cited NIL as a reason.

Regardless, they’re gone, and there’s a sense of unfulfillment. Michigan’s last one-and-done -- and first such player since 2000 -- was Ignas Brazdeikis. He led Michigan in scoring and was the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year in 2018-19. These two rookies didn’t provide the same punch, leading many to question their choice to leave school.

Recruiting rankings are a useful indicator of such decisions, and Diabaté and Houstan checked that box. Houstan was ranked No. 11 in the 2021 class, per the 247sports composite; Diabaté was No. 17. Only one player ranked that high is returning to school next season (Kentucky’s Daimion Collins, ranked 16th). Only two top-20 players in the 2020 class stayed in school for a second season.

Washington pointed out that coaches don’t decide when a player is ready for the NBA. The player does, at least partly based on feedback from league personnel. But Michigan’s staff knew this was a possibility for these two freshmen given their pedigree.

Those hoping Michigan avoids potential one-and-dones going forward will be disappointed.

“We’ve got to continue to do our jobs as a staff and get the best possible players in here,” Washington said. “If we didn’t, people would be talking about how we’re not recruiting good enough.”

It’s not like last season was a waste. The Wolverines, despite their mediocre overall record, reached the Sweet 16. The year before, they won the Big Ten regular-season title, earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and reached the Elite Eight.

“Our jobs as coaches are to recruit the best possible student-athletes we can, develop our team into a championship team, and put these guys into position to live out their dream,” Washington said.

For some players, like Isaiah Livers, that moment comes after four seasons at Michigan. For others it’s after three (Moe Wagner) or two (Franz Wagner). For Moussa Diabaté and Caleb Houstan, it was after just one.

Michigan will keep pursuing similarly touted players. The hope is that the ones who choose Michigan live up to the hype.

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