Charles Matthews came off the floor Thursday night with his head down and his shoulders slumped as Michigan's season came to an end in a blowout loss to Texas Tech in the Sweet 16. It's likely Matthews' Michigan career ended with it.
Matthews has one more year of eligibility as a redshirt junior, but he said before the start of this season that it would be his last in college. The tears he shed on the bench in the final minutes of the game suggested that's still the case.
Afterward, Matthews pushed his final decision down the road.
Matthews, who's considered a possible second-round draft pick, averaged 12.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game this season, slightly down from his numbers last year. He battled an ankle injury toward the end of the season.
John Beilein, for his part, has accepted Matthews' departure.
"We're very sad that his college career is ending," Beilein said. "But he will work his tail off to have a successful career going forward, and he'll have a big imprint on Michigan forever."
Even if Matthews wanted to return, there likely wouldn't be room for him on the roster. Including the incoming freshmen, Michigan's 13 scholarships are spoken for.
Those numbers could change if fellow NBA prospects Ignas Brazdeikis or Jordan Poole decide to turn pro. Brazdeikis, the highest-ranked player of the three, wasn't entertaining the idea Thursday night.
"I'm not thinking about that stuff right now," he said.
The freshman led Michigan in scoring this season with 14.8 points per game, while shooting 39 percent from three.
Poole, who averaged 12.8 points per game, was of a similar mindset.
"I'm just trying to be supportive for the guys around me right now," he said. "Guys like Charles that have dedicated so much time to basketball. (Zavier Simpson) is a leader. The managers, everybody. I'm just trying to stay in the current moment. That's really about it right now."
Players have until May 29 to decide whether or not to enter the NBA Draft. In all liklihood, Matthews will be the only one.
That will leave Michigan in good shape heading into next season.
"We've got everybody back," Beilein said. "We'll see. You never know. You've got transfers. Guys will look at the NBA. That same old thing. Charles will graduate so we expect him to go pro. If we have everybody (else) back, it's in really good shape."