Michigan’s long-awaited rematch with Duke is off, but the Wolverines didn’t have to wait long to find a worthy substitute. Louisville is stepping in, and the matchup now gives both programs an early look at two rosters that have changed a lot since last season.
The game is set for Dec. 5 in Detroit, with a return game scheduled for the following season in Indianapolis. It will be the first meeting between Michigan and Louisville since the 2019-20 season.
A big part of the intrigue comes from the transfer portal, where both schools chased some of the same frontcourt talent. Michigan was initially linked to Kansas big man Flory Bidunga, but he chose Louisville instead, reportedly for major NIL money. The Wolverines answered by landing Cincinnati center Moustapha Thiam.
That gives this game a little extra edge for Thiam right away. He spent two seasons in the Big 12 and went head-to-head with Kansas and Bidunga.
In Kansas’ lone game against Thiam last season, Thiam finished with 28 points on 11-for-17 shooting and added eight rebounds, while Bidunga scored 12. That history should give Michigan a useful reference point as it prepares for Louisville’s newest centerpiece.
Louisville is also bringing in plenty of other reinforcements. The Cardinals reached the NCAA Tournament last season before falling to Michigan State in the Round of 32, but they’ll look very different this year after losing star freshman Mikel Brown Jr. to the NBA Draft and watching six players enter the transfer portal.
Pat Kelsey still pieced together a strong haul. Along with Bidunga, Louisville added Oregon’s Jackson Shelstad and Arkansas’ Karter Knox, part of a six-player portal class that reshapes the roster.
Michigan’s lineup is changing too, though the backcourt should have some continuity. Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney are both back, which could give the Wolverines an advantage there.
The frontcourt, though, is brand new. J.P.
Estrella and Moustapha Thiam are projected to be the new starting pair inside, and this matchup should be a strong early measuring stick for Mike Boynton Jr.’s program.
The series history adds a little more texture. Louisville has taken two of the last three meetings between the teams, and Michigan’s most recent win over the Cardinals came in the 2016-17 NCAA Tournament, when the Wolverines won 73-69.
Of course, the game many fans still remember is the 2012-13 national title loss to Louisville. Michigan fell 82-76 that night, with Trey Burke’s block called for a foul on Peyton Silva’s layup attempt. That call helped decide the game and cost Michigan a championship.
This one won’t carry that kind of weight, but it still gives Michigan a chance to get a little payback.
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