Former Michigan guard David DeJulius transfers to Cincinnati

Any glimmer of hope David DeJulius would come back to Michigan has been quashed.

The sophomore guard announced on Thursday he’ll be heading to the American Athletic Conference to play for Cincinnati.

DeJulius has two seasons of eligibility remaining and will likely have to sit out next season. However, he could apply for an immediate eligibility waiver or be immediately eligible if a one-time transfer waiver goes into effect for this coming season. The waiver proposal will reportedly be voted on in May.

Cincinnati finished 20-10 last season under first-year coach John Brannen and earned a share of the AAC regular-season title with Houston and Tulsa.

DeJulius, who entered the transfer portal on April 6, was also considering Iowa State, Marquette and Missouri. According to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, DeJulius’ final options didn’t include a return to Michigan, where he averaged seven points and 1.5 assists in 20.9 minutes as a key rotation piece last season.

The Detroit native and former East English Village standout posted a farewell message on his Twitter and Instagram accounts on Tuesday.

“Thank you to the University of Michigan for allowing me to fulfill a dream I had since I was 4 years of age,” DeJulius wrote in the message. “I had wonderful coaches, teammates, professors and faculty members. Most importantly I’ve built friendships and relationships that will last a lifetime.

“Whatever help I needed was provided for me in all aspects of my life during my stay. Me being a product of the state of Michigan, I’ll always be grateful and an advocate for that block M. Thank you to the fans and support that made me a better person. God and my faith in Him led me to Ann Arbor and I’ll forever (be) grateful. Thank you so much! You all will be missed and always will be in my prayers.”

Sophomore forward Colin Castleton also entered the transfer portal last week and will be leaving Ann Arbor with untapped potential. He has drawn interest from Florida, N.C. State, Butler, Xavier, Cincinnati and Dayton, among others.

Castleton has yet to cut down his list of suitors or name any finalists. He appeared in 25 games last season, averaging 3.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in 7.9 minutes off the bench.

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @jamesbhawkins