Michigan’s championship roster may have lost Dusty May, but the pieces around it haven’t exactly fallen apart. In fact, the Wolverines are staring at a lineup that could end up looking even stronger than the group that won it all.
The biggest reason is simple: the projected starting five is still intact. That kind of retention gives Michigan a real shot to keep rolling, and the shape of this roster suggests more than just survival after a coaching change. It looks loaded.
The backcourt is a big part of why. Elliot Cadeau is a year older and has a chance to be one of the best point guards in the country. Trey McKenney gives Michigan an upgrade over Nimari Burnett in the starting five, and together the two form a backcourt that should be plenty tough.
Up front, the Wolverines may not have the exact same kind of star power they had before, but the talent level is still high. Moustapha Thiam appears more ready to help right away than Aday Mara was when he arrived.
JP Estrella also brings more proven production, coming in with more points per game at Tennessee than Morez Johnson Jr. had at Illinois. Neither player should represent a drop-off, and both have the kind of upside that could make them much bigger factors as time goes on.
Then there’s Brandon McCoy Jr., the wild card in the whole thing. He isn’t as familiar a name as Yaxel Lendeborg was, and he doesn’t have Lendeborg’s height, but the long-term ceiling might be even better.
McCoy was measured with a seven-foot wingspan, and unless a more experienced option shows up through the portal, he’s expected to be in the starting lineup from day one. He also doesn’t need to be the featured option the way Lendeborg was.
Depth is another reason this group has a different feel. With Roddy Gayle and Will Tschetter gone, LJ Cason slides into the sixth-man role when healthy and if he returns.
Jalen Reed steps into the spot Tschetter held, while Oscar Goodman and Quinn Costello give Michigan more bodies and more options. Costello, in particular, has been drawing strong buzz from his workout videos.
There’s also some excitement around the younger names. Sophomore Ricky Liburd is being talked up as a possible breakout player, and Lincoln Cosby would have had a real chance to help. If he stays, he’s on track to start in 2028.
All of that adds up to a roster that is deeper and more experienced than the one that started the championship run. The one thing it doesn’t have is the coach who guided it there. Mike Boynton has the talent to make this work and enough in front of him to chase a repeat, but he’s still not Dusty May.
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Michigan Finally Made Its Big Basketball Decision Amid Mounting Pressure
Michigans basketball program has finally settled its biggest offseason question, and the timing matters. Mike Boynton Jr. is now in place on a two-year deal, giving the Wolverines a clear leader after a stretch of uncertainty and pressure around the job. He has already done important work on the roster side by keeping current commitments intact, which helps stabilize a program that could not afford much more drift.
The harder part now is building the bench around him. Michigan still has three coaching staff openings to sort through after departures connected to the Dallas Mavericks and other moves, leaving Boynton with a quick turnaround as he tries to assemble a workable group. Akeem Miskdeen, Kyle Church, KT Harrell and strength coach Matt Aldred remain in the building, but the staff picture is still taking shape as the Wolverines move into the next phase of the transition. [Read more 🡒]
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The bigger immediate swing could come on the defensive front, where Michigan is in the mix for four-star lineman Seth Tillman as his decision approaches. His recruitment has moved quickly enough that the Wolverines have stayed firmly in the conversation, which is exactly the kind of late-stage push that can reshape how a class looks on paper. For a program trying to stack future depth with players who fit its identity, the next few days and weeks could tell a lot about how strong this run on the trail really is. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan Just Got The Clarity Fans Were Desperate For
Michigans offseason finally has some direction after a stretch of uncertainty that followed Dusty Mays departure for the Dallas Mavericks. Mike Boynton, who stepped in to steady the program, has now been officially elevated to the head job on a two-year contract, giving the Wolverines a clearer picture of who will be steering the roster into next season.
The timing matters because the group around him is starting to take shape, too, with nearly all of the players from last season expected back. That kind of continuity gives Boynton a real base to work with as he settles into the role, and it also raises the stakes for what Michigan can do with a roster that already looks far more intact than many expected when the coaching change first hit. [Read more 🡒]