The Michigan Wolverines won the National Championship on April 5, and 77 days later, head coach Dusty May announced he'd be joining the Dallas Mavericks. Although he's off to the NBA, along with Michigan's front court last season of Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara and Morez Johnson, May still impacted this upcoming roster.
LJ Cason was the only player to enter the transfer portal after May's departure, and on July 10, it was announced that Mike Boynton Jr. would be the official head coach for Michigan.
Michigan is one of the few Big Ten teams dealing with 5-for-5 rulings on last year's seniors. As of Sept. 24, 2026, Roddy Gayle Jr. received a preliminary injunction, allowing him to return to Michigan and play and practice while his court case is going on. As of now, it's anticipated that he'll be on the roster, but things can change quickly.
Columbia transfer Kenny Noland is another 5-for-5 player who also received an injunction to be able to play for Michigan.
Michigan returned Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney from last season's championship team, giving them stability in the backcourt. In the transfer portal, they brought in JP Estrella from Tennessee, Moustapha Thiam from Cincinatti, and Jalen Reed from LSU. All three of the transfers will play important roles for the front court.
In addition to returning Oscar Goodman and Ricky Liburd, two players who weren't in the rotation last season for the Wolverines, Michigan brings in six players with no NCAA experience. Brandon McCoy was a 5-star prospect that Michigan expected to have a large role this season. However, he tore his ACL during the summer and will be out for the season. Joseph Hartman, Quinn Costello, and Lincoln Cosby are 4-star freshmen, Malachi Brown is a 3-star freshman, and Marcus Moller comes over from Spain.
Projected Michigan starting lineup and rotation
Starter | Position | Bench |
|---|---|---|
Elliot Cadeau | PG | Kenny Noland |
Trey McKenney | SG | Joseph Hartman |
Roddy Gayle Jr. | SF | Oscar Goodman |
J.P. Estrella | PF | Quinn Costello |
Moustapha Thiam | C | Jalen Reed |
With Roddy Gayle currently eligible, the starting five would seem to be pretty locked in, on paper. The bench is wide open for players who show in practice and the early season that they deserve to be part of the rotation. Out of the current listed bench, only Noland and Reed have played consistent minutes at the collegiate level. With Michigan having a lot of youth, especially at the wing positions, there'll be plenty of opportunities for players like Joseph Hartman, Oscar Goodman, Quinn Costello, Ricky Liburd, and Lincoln Cosby to carve out minutes for themselves.
Can Michigan repeat as champions?
Michigan isn't going to be the favorite to win the National Championship, but they will be expected to be very competitive within the Big Ten.
Per barttorvik.com, Michigan is ranked 14th in the country and third in the Big Ten. Despite the coaching change and roster turnover, there's still plenty of talent in Ann Arbor to go on another run.
Michigan getting Roddy Gayle eligible helps shore up some of their questions in the wing room, a void that only grew bigger once it was announced Brandon McCoy was done for the season. Depth will be the other main concern as Michigan doesn't having much proven high-major talent on the bench.
The top end of this roster is going to be able to produce, and that's the biggest reason why Michigan could be very good again. Elliot Cadeau had his best season of his career last year, averaging 10.5 points and 5.9 assists. His backcourt partner, Trey McKenney, has the upside for one of the biggest breakout seasons in all of college basketball this year. Add in veteran Roddy Gayle, who can defend and get to the rim, and Michigan will have one of the better backcourts in the country.
JP Estrella and Moustapha Thiam give Michigan another towering front court with skill. Both are great rebounders and should dominate the interior against their opponents. Thiam gives Michigan a traditional rim protecting big that the Wolverines have relied on in their drop-coverage defensive system. Estrella averaged 10 points and 5.4 rebounds in just 18.3 minutes per game at Tennessee last season, and he'll be given more runway to produce on the interior for Michigan.
Michigan has the talent needed to be competitive, with plenty of upside on unknown players that could elevate them to a championship caliber team. All eyes will be on head coach Mike Boynton as he has big shoes to fill following Dusty May's success in Ann Arbor in just a short period of time.
Add us as a preferred source on Google