Michigan basketball is back on the floor Sunday, even if the calendar still says exhibition season.
The Wolverines will open their preseason slate at home against Eastern Michigan, the first of three exhibition games before the 2026-27 season begins. It’s also a matchup of two new head coaches, with Mike Boynton Jr. stepping in for Michigan after Dusty May’s move to the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA, and Billy Donlon taking over at Eastern Michigan.
Donlon is no stranger to Ann Arbor. He spent the 2016-17 season on John Beilein’s staff as a Michigan assistant, where his reputation leaned heavily on the defensive side of the game. That Wolverines team finished 26-12 before Donlon moved on to Northwestern after one season in maize and blue.
Michigan’s summer overseas trip offered a glimpse of this roster, but the sample was thin. Injuries and foul trouble limited what the Wolverines could show, and neither Jalen Reed nor Ricky Liburd played. Moustapha Thiam was also held back after suffering a minor injury in Game 1 of the foreign tour.
Boynton Jr. said during Big Ten Media Days that it appears the LSU transfer will be available Sunday. Reed is expected to be on a pitch count, but Michigan should finally get a live look at him in game action. Liburd is also expected to play, and he’s one of the names already being mentioned as a possible breakout player for the Wolverines, making this his first real chance to show how far he’s come.
Sunday should also bring a first look at two additions who were not part of the overseas trip. Michigan added Columbia point guard Kenny Noland and former Wolverine Roddy Gayle Jr. under the five-for-five ruling, and both sound likely to suit up. Gayle Jr. is viewed as a strong candidate to start this season, while Noland should back up Elliot Cadeau.
Still, this is more about evaluation than answers. The rotation figures to stay broad, with Boynton Jr. likely using 10-12 players to see how they handle their first home setting together. Like the overseas games, it’s less about drawing hard conclusions and more about getting everyone on the same page - hopefully without the foul issues this time.
In Other News...
Michigans Early Big Ten Hole Looks Even Worse Now
Three weeks into Big Ten play, Michigan is still stuck without a conference win, and the standings around it have only made that opening stretch feel heavier. The league has settled into an early picture with six teams, including the Wolverines, still searching for their first victory, while Ohio State has taken the lead and other programs like Indiana and Nebraska have shown enough to keep the race from feeling orderly.
For Michigan, the frustration is not just the record but the way a few key moments have shaped it. A kickoff return against Iowa and a muffed punt against Minnesota helped swing games the wrong way, the kind of special teams breakdowns that can turn a manageable start into a deeper hole. In a conference already looking competitive and crowded, every missed chance only makes the climb back harder. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans Utah Transfers Are Giving Fans One Bright Spot
Among the quieter successes in Michigans portal work this season has been the immediate impact of the Utah transfers Kyle Whittingham brought with him. Cornerback Smith Snowden, wide receiver JJ Buchanan and defensive end John Henry Daley have all settled in quickly, giving the Wolverines a handful of additions who look far more like plug-and-play contributors than developmental projects.
Buchanan has become a useful outlet in the passing game, Snowden has stabilized the secondary and Daley has been a force up front, helping set the tone on the defensive line. For a team always looking for dependable production from new faces, those three have provided a welcome bright spot and a reminder that transfer success can still make a real difference in Ann Arbor. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa's Rebound Just Changed How Michigan Fans See That Loss
Iowas response after its earlier loss did more than stabilize the Hawkeyes, it also gave Michigan fans a fresh lens on that defeat. In a Big Ten weekend packed with swings, Nebraska pushed Indiana before falling late and Oregon had its own problems against UCLA, with injuries complicating the Ducks offense, all of it reinforcing how quickly the conference picture can change from one Saturday to the next.
For Michigan, the bigger takeaway is less about any one final score and more about what these teams might look like by the time the Wolverines see them again. Iowas bounce-back suggests that result was never going to define the Hawkeyes for long, while the late-game issues for Nebraska and the uneven showing from Oregon only add more uncertainty to a league race that already feels unsettled. [Read more 🡒]