Michigan’s title defense is coming with a different look, but the Wolverines still have enough talent to stay in the thick of the Big Ten race.
The biggest change arrived at the top. Dusty May left after two seasons to take the Dallas Mavericks job, and Michigan moved quickly to hire Mike Boynton Jr. as its new head coach.
Boynton Jr. kept key assistants in place and added a couple more voices, while the roster mostly held together. The lone departure from May’s group was LJ Cason, who transferred to Miami.
Even with that continuity, Michigan is being pegged for third in the Big Ten behind Illinois and Michigan State. CBS Sports writer Cameron Salerno isn’t buying the hype around the Wolverines, calling them overrated entering the season.
"Coming into this season, I'm lower on Michigan because it lost Dusty May late in the offseason to the Dallas Mavericks and Brandon McCoy Jr. - a five-star freshman who might've been a lottery pick...The talent on Michigan's roster is still really good, but it's very possible Michigan takes a step back this season. The teams behind them in the polls - especially USC and UCLA - I could see finishing in front of Michigan in the final Big Ten standings," Salerno wrote.
The loss of Brandon McCoy Jr. was a real blow. He had shown the look of a major piece overseas, even with turnover issues, and it was clear he was set to matter on offense while also having the potential to be the best defender on the floor. Instead, his season ended before it began, leaving Michigan with a major hole to address.
The Wolverines responded through the new five-for-five rule, bringing in Columbia transfer Kenny Noland and former Wolverine Roddy Gayle Jr. Gayle Jr. also won his court battle against the NCAA after playing in the Summer League, and for now he is set to suit up for Michigan this season.
Gayle Jr. is expected to open at wing and play with Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney. His experience is a big part of the appeal.
He spent two seasons with May, understands what winning looks like, and was an important part of Michigan’s championship push last year. Now his role is going to expand.
Michigan also needed another ball handler behind Cadeau before its foreign trip, and Noland fills that need. New assistant Mike Martin already knew him from coaching against him at Brown. Noland averaged 17 points per game last season, can run the offense when Cadeau sits, and gives the Wolverines another scoring option if they want to use him at the 2.
There were encouraging signs from Oscar Goodman, Quinn Costello and Joseph Hartman as well, and each could help soak up minutes. Ricky Liburd is also expected to play a major role this season after missing Michigan’s trip.
If Cadeau and McKenney stay healthy, Michigan has enough pieces to remain near the top of the Big Ten again, even if the outside noise says the Wolverines are due to slide.
In Other News...
Michigan's Exhibition Opener Suddenly Carries Two Huge Roster Questions
Michigans first exhibition game arrives Sunday against Eastern Michigan, and it now has a little more intrigue than a typical preseason tune-up. Head coach Mike Boynton Jr. said Roddy Gayle is expected to play, barring any last-minute changes, and the Wolverines are also hoping Jalen Reed will be cleared in time as they begin sorting out the early shape of the rotation.
The timing matters because this is the start of a short exhibition runway that also includes Oregon State and Houston before the regular season opens Nov. 2 against Oakland. Even in games that do not count, getting Gayle on the floor and Reed available would give Michigan a better read on how quickly the roster can settle, and it would answer two questions the staff would clearly prefer not to carry much longer. [Read more 🡒]
Michigans First Look Comes With Two Rotation Questions Still Looming
Michigan got a clearer picture of its preseason opener picture this week as Mike Boynton Jr. offered an update on availability before the matchup with Eastern Michigan. Several familiar names, including Moustapha Thiam, Roddy Gayle Jr., Kenny Noland and Ricky Liburd, are expected to be in the mix, giving the Wolverines a chance to start sorting out roles and combinations as the exhibition schedule begins.
Even so, the roster still has a few moving parts. Oscar Goodman and Jalen Reed remain uncertain, while Marcus Moller, Lincoln Cosby and Brandon McCoy Jr. are out for health and injury reasons, leaving a couple of rotation spots unsettled as Michigan tries to get a first real look at how its depth will hold up. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Sent A Big Message In The In-State QB Race
Michigan has made another move to keep the states top talent close to home, this time extending a scholarship offer to Traverse City West quarterback Brayden Tillman. The rising prospect has drawn attention for the traits that tend to play well in Ann Arbor: size, arm strength, pocket presence and enough athletic ability to fit into what Michigan likes to do offensively.
For a staff that continues to emphasize in-state recruiting, the offer is as much about relationships as it is about evaluation. Tillman gives the Wolverines another local name to track in the quarterback conversation, and it also reinforces how seriously Michigan is treating the battle for elite homegrown talent as the cycle unfolds. [Read more 🡒]