Michigan season preview: a national champion with a new coach

Where last season ended

Michigan finished 37-3 overall and 19-1 in Big Ten play, first in the conference. The Wolverines lost 80-72 to Purdue in the Big Ten tournament final. They then beat UConn 69-63 for the 2026 national championship (NBC News). Dusty May coached the title team, then left in June to become head coach of the Dallas Mavericks. Mike Boynton Jr., the interim coach, was named head coach on July 10, 2026, on a two-year contract (mgoblue.com).

Who is gone

Aday Mara, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Morez Johnson Jr. were first-round NBA draft picks. Nimari Burnett and Will Tschetter are out of eligibility. Roddy Gayle Jr.'s status was still listed as unclear in a September roster update. L.J. Cason transferred to Miami (FL), and Winters Grady and Malick Kordel transferred to Minnesota.

Who is back

Elliot Cadeau, a point guard who transferred from North Carolina, is back. He was named the most outstanding player of the 2026 Final Four (Inside the Hall). Trey McKenney, a sophomore wing, returns as well. Oscar Goodman, a redshirt freshman forward, and Ricky Liburd, a guard, also return. Cadeau and McKenney both made the 2026-27 preseason All-Big Ten team.

Who is new

J.P. Estrella, a forward from Tennessee, and Moustapha Thiam, a 7-2 center from Cincinnati, are the main transfers in the frontcourt. Jalen Reed came from LSU. Kenny Noland, a fifth-year guard from Columbia, joined the roster. The freshman class is listed below.

Incoming freshmen

Michigan adds six freshmen. Brandon McCoy Jr. is out for 2026-27 after tearing his ACL, according to Inside the Hall.

• Brandon McCoy Jr., guard, 6-5, Sierra Canyon High School, Oakland, Calif. (No. 10 in the 247Sports Composite; out for 2026-27)
• Lincoln Cosby, forward, 6-10, Montverde Academy, Cincinnati, Ohio (No. 46 in the 247Sports Composite)
• Quinn Costello, forward, 6-10, The Newman School (Mass.), Medford, Mass. (No. 34 in the 247Sports Composite)
• Marcus Møller, center, 7-3, NEXT Vestskoven Gymnasium, Copenhagen, Denmark (no ranking listed by 247Sports)
• Joseph Hartman, guard, 6-6, The Rock School (Fla.), Richmond, Va. (No. 95 in the 247Sports Composite)
• Malachi Brown, guard, 6-6, Knoxville Catholic High School, Knoxville, Tenn. (No. 190 in the 247Sports Composite)

The number to know

The number is KenPom net rating, also called adjusted efficiency margin. It is points scored minus points allowed per 100 possessions, adjusted for opponent strength and pace. Michigan finished the 2025-26 season at +39.70, first among Division I teams in KenPom's final ratings. Illinois was fifth at +33.66, and Michigan State was 10th at +28.76.

The figure covers the full 2025-26 season, including the NCAA tournament run. It does not show how the new frontcourt will perform, how McCoy's injury will affect the guard rotation, or how a new head coach changes the system. KenPom tracks close-game luck separately, and this number does not include it.

Questions for this season

Can the frontcourt replace Mara, Lendeborg, and Johnson? Thiam and Estrella add size, and Reed adds interior scoring, but none of them is new to this roster's system. Their early minutes will show the answer.

How much offense does the backcourt carry without McCoy? Cadeau and McKenney are the core, and McKenney is in his second season with a bigger role.

How does Boynton handle his first full season as head coach? He was on the staff for two seasons, so the system is familiar, but the decisions now belong to him.

Our early read

Our tier is Contender (top 4), and our projected conference finish is third. Michigan led the country by margin last season and returns Cadeau, the 2026 Final Four's most outstanding player. The loss of three first-round picks is large, and the coaching change adds uncertainty. Top-four placement depends on the transfers and freshmen fitting in quickly.