The defending national champion Michigan Wolverines will finally get back in front of their home crowd Sunday, opening their 2026-27 preseason slate against Eastern Michigan at Crisler Center.
Tipoff is set for 2 p.m., and B1G+ will carry the game live with Michigan’s StudentU broadcast team.
It’s the first chance for fans to see a team fresh off a 37-3 season that ended with a 69-63 victory over UConn in the 2026 NCAA championship game. Michigan didn’t just cut down the nets - it also swept the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles along the way.
Sunday also brings a new face to the sideline in a familiar place. Mike Boynton Jr. will coach his first game at Crisler Center as Michigan’s head coach, after spending the previous two seasons on the staff. During that stretch, the Wolverines went 64-13 and piled up two Big Ten Tournament championships, a Big Ten regular-season title and the national championship.
Eastern Michigan arrives with its own coaching change. Billy Donlon, now in his first year leading the Eagles, is back in Ann Arbor after serving as an assistant on John Beilein’s Michigan staff in the 2016-17 season. That Wolverine team went 26-12, won the Big Ten Tournament and reached the NCAA Sweet 16.
The two programs are no strangers, either. Separated by less than 10 miles, they last met in the 2023-24 season, when Michigan won 83-66 at Crisler Center.
Michigan’s roster has a very different look after the NBA came calling for three lottery picks: Morez Johnson Jr. went No. 9, Yaxel Lendeborg went No. 11 and Aday Mara went No.
- That leaves plenty of production to replace, but the Wolverines still bring back two key pieces in senior Elliot Cadeau and sophomore Trey McKenney.
Both earned Preseason All-Big Ten recognition. Cadeau, the Final Four Most Outstanding Player, started all 40 games last season and averaged 10.5 points and a team-high 5.9 assists. He piled up 234 assists and delivered 19 points in the championship win over UConn.
McKenney had a strong freshman season of his own, earning Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors after averaging 9.9 points and 2.8 rebounds. He led Michigan with 68 three-pointers, shooting 39.1% from deep and 89.5% at the line.
The Wolverines also added three transfers to help round out the group: J.P. Estrella from Tennessee, Moustapha Thiam from Cincinnati and Jalen Reed from LSU. Together, they bring 205 career college games of experience.
Michigan already got some live reps this offseason, too, taking a nine-day summer trip to Lithuania and Croatia and playing three international exhibitions. The tour ended with an 84-81 comeback over Serbian professional club Mega Superbet, with McKenney scoring 25 points and Cadeau adding 15.
After Sunday’s exhibition, Michigan will host Oregon State on Friday, Oct. 16, then meet Houston in The Battleground 2K26 on Sunday, Oct. 25, at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids. The regular season starts at home against Oakland on Monday, Nov. 2.
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Michigan Fans Finally Get A First Look At Boynton's New Pieces
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For Michigan, the spotlight will be on how the fresh roster pieces fit early, especially newcomers Kenny Noland and Roddy Gayle Jr. Both are expected to take part in the exhibition, and their presence should offer at least a first glimpse at how Boynton wants this team to look before the games start counting for real. [Read more 🡒]