ROSEMONT, IL − Free Press sportswriter Tony Garcia breaks down three things we learned about Michigan basketball at Big Ten basketball media days heading into the 2026-27 season.
Who's healthy?
Michigan has its share of players who are banged up.
Starting with the least significant, forward Oscar Goodman "tweaked his back" in practice recently according to coach Mike Boynton Jr. and while he's seen as questionable for U-M's first exhibition, against Eastern Michigan on Sunday, Oct. 11 (2 p.m., BTN+) it isn't a long term concern.
Jalen Reed, a transfer from LSU, has made significant progress since tearing his Achilles last season. He has been able recently to participate in full practices, full contact and go up and down the court in five-on-five action. He met
with his doctor Thursday to get cleared for Sunday's exhibition.
"It looks positive that he would be able to participate Sunday, maybe on a minutes restriction," Boynton said.
Ricky Liburd, who didn't play in any of the team's three overseas exhibitions in August while dealing with "hip tightness" and redshirted last season, "will be available Sunday, barring something happening between now and then," per Boynton.
Freshman Lincoln Cosby, a four-star small forward and a top-50 recruit in the class of 2026, is continuing to rehab from a torn ACL he suffered last season. It doesn't seem as if he will play a role this season.
"He’s not available at this point," Boynton said. "I don’t know how it’s going to play out, so I don’t wanna say he’s 'redshirting,' but it’s probably likely that he’ll [basically] redshirt this year."
Finally, freshman center Marcus Møller will not be on hand for U-M's exhibition against the Eagles. The big is back home in Denmark getting scans for his cancer recovery − he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in January, but impressed when playing with the team this summer − and is not currently seen as somebody in the rotation.
"Right now, because he’s not practicing, he’s probably going to be on the back end," Boynton said of Møller's spot on the depth chart.
What's the rotation?
The Wolverines appear to have a surprisingly clear picture of the rotation. In the backcourt, point guard Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney will get the bulk of the minutes, as the two most proven commodities. McKenney is the No. 1 breakout candidate, according to Cadeau when speaking with the Free Press on Thursday.
"He was a diamond in the rough last year," Cadeau said. "He didn't get the ball that much because you know we were so talented and we're so good. ... But if you look at his numbers, his efficiency, he was one of the most efficient players in the country last year.
"So if you give him the ball more, and he stays at that efficiency, he'll be one of the best players."
Roddy Gayle Jr., who is eligible (for now) after a New York court gave him a fifth year of eligibility, is penciled in as the starting wing. His confidence grew last postseason and Boynton thinks the struggles he went through in-season helped him develop "a little more mental toughness."
The starting frontcourt consists of JP Estrella, a Tennessee transfer Boynton said is one of the vocal leaders already, and Moustapha Thiam. Boynton said the Cincinnati transfer is a bit of a mix of each of the last five star bigs (Aday Mara, Morez Johnson Jr., Yaxel Lendeborg, Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf) the Wolverines have had, all of whom are now in the NBA.
Reed should see notable time and Boynton said he's "going to be better than people think." Liburd, likewise, seems like an option as the first off the bench. Boynton has been talking him up since last spring, before he was hired as coach.
"Shot-making, rebounding, defensive physicality and versatility," Boynton said of Liburd. "He’s a really good athlete, so he can play in transition with us. So just a really good two-way, all-around guard."
Kenny Noland, a transfer from Columbia who also received a fifth year via court ruling, could play off the ball but is seen right now as the backup point guard.
Goodman and true freshman Quinn Costello should also be in the rotation. Both can play either the three or four, or in cases of foul trouble, Costello – a McDonald's All-America out of Massachusetts – would be able to slide to the five.
Who's the next star big?
Michigan's 5-for-5 on transfer big men the past two years and feels it landed two more potential stars in Estrella and Thiam. The latter was an All-Big 12 player last season.
"He’s a rim protector in the mold of Aday, but he moves laterally a little bit better," Boynton said. "He’s got Danny’s playmaking ability in terms of being able to push it on the break. ... He can shoot the ball, not quite as well as Yax, but he can make 3s in stand-still catch-and-shoot situations. And he can finish around the rim like Vlad did.
"So he’s got a little bit of all their games, and we’re trying to bring out the best of those things with what our team needs from him, which starts with his rim pressure and pick-and-rolls with Elliot, but also his ability to run the floor and then protect the rim on defense, which has been a staple of our best defensive moments the last two years."
Estrella is the "brute-force physical guy," according to Boynton, who expects him to continue to be one of the better offensive rebounders in the country. He also spent notable time this offseason on becoming a spot-up shooter, much like Johnson did upon arriving in Ann Arbor a year ago.
Boynton made it clear what his expectations are for the frontcourt, which he didn't want to compare to 2025-26.
“We don’t have three lottery picks in the front line. Let’s say that, right?," Boynton said. "I don’t want Moustapha and JP to think that they have to be like Morez and Aday. I want them to think that they want to do what Morez and Aday did, which was to get people to stop talking about Danny and Vlad.”
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 3 things we learned about Michigan basketball at Big Ten media days
