Michigan has added another piece to its backcourt, landing Columbia transfer guard Kenny Noland for the 2026 season, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.
Noland, a 6-foot-2 guard from North Carolina, has one season of eligibility left and is expected to slide into a backup point guard role after LJ Cason’s offseason departure. He gives Michigan another scorer to bring off the bench and another ball-handler who can help keep the offense moving when Elliot Cadeau sits.
Last season at Columbia, Noland put together a strong all-around year, averaging 17.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game. He also led the team in three-point shooting, free throws made and minutes, making him the kind of steady presence that carried real weight on both ends of the floor.
His best scoring burst came in January, when he logged the first double-double of his career with 28 points and 11 rebounds against Dartmouth. That kind of production is part of what makes him a fit for a Michigan team that can now lean into deeper backcourt rotations with Cadeau and Trey McKinney both back in the fold.
Noland is now the 14th player on Michigan’s roster, and he’ll get a shot at contributing on a team still aiming to make another run at a national championship.
There’s also still a possibility Michigan adds more help. Roddy Gayle remains without a spot for the start of basketball season, and new head coach Mike Boynton Jr. said the program is still keeping tabs on that situation.
“I think all of it’s kind of a hurdle, just the fact that he’s technically exhausted his eligibility first,” Boynton said earlier in the offseason. “In his mind, there’s not even really a thought of it, so you operate with the information you have at the time.
In fairness to the kid, if he had known that and wanted to come back, maybe he would’ve considered that before playing in Summer League. But that wasn’t the information at the time, and I would hope that if the rules are changed, they would say, ‘He didn’t do anything wrong per se - this wasn’t an option, and now it is.’
“We’ll monitor it, and if it’s an option, we’ll certainly explore it.”
If Gayle does end up returning, Michigan’s guard room would become even deeper and more dangerous. For now, though, Noland gives Boynton another reliable option as he works to build around the frontcourt and recreate what worked for Dusty May’s team a season ago.
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