Dusty May and the Wolverines have loaded up in an effort to try and go back-to-back next season. They acquired the commitments of three players in the transfer portal so far this offseason, but there is one final roster spot left for Michigan to fill.
As the roster takes shape for the 2026-27 campaign, let’s take a look at three potential options for that final roster spot.
Option 1: A transfer
The dream scenario was 247Sports’ second-ranked transfer, former Iowa State Cyclone Milan Momcilovi, but the 6-foot-8 forward
that led all of Division I with a 48.7 percent clip from three last season committed to Kentucky on Monday night.
Most of the top portal prospects have already committed elsewhere, but keep an eye out for Cal Poly forward Hamad Mousa. Maize & Blue Review’s Josh Henschke ($) reported that “Sources in both Ann Arbor and nationally have (said that Mousa) is a name that the U-M staff are currently monitoring.”
Similarly to Momcilovic, Mousa is a long (6-foot-8), sharpshooter (37.2 percent on 7.1 threes attempted per game in 2025-26) that could make for a natural fit on a roster steady at the guard position — led by Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney — and has a bundle of big men in Moustapha Thiam, J.P. Estrella and Jalen Reed, who could use shooting and length at small forward.
Option 2: A European recruit
The Wolverines are headed to Lithuania and Croatia from Aug. 21-29. May has had success recruiting internationally, just look at guys like Aday Mara, Oscar Goodman, Malick Kordel and Marcus Moller, to name a few of the recent players.
Perhaps they have something in the works out in Europe and there is an under-the-radar prospect who could join the Wolverines. But the NCAA is finally setting some boundaries on recruiting, recently releasing guidelines that include student-athletes who “entered an agreement with, competed on or received compensation from a team that participates in a league with minimum compensation that exceeds actual and necessary expenses” will no longer have reinstated eligibility.
This is not the be-all end-all of international prospects, however; it could make life trickier for May and his coaching counterparts.
Option 3: Stay put
Yes, a Momcilovic, Mousa or a European prospect could all be excellent additions, but this 2026-27 iteration of Michigan hoops is already shaping up to be a stout team. The aforementioned five starters/rotational pieces and incoming five-star freshman Brandon McCoy Jr. are, at least on paper, a fierce-looking squad.
Here is what assistant coach and defensive coordinator Mike Boynton Jr. had to say about that recently on Defend the Block:
“And so, again, like, there’s a small chance we add a piece, yeah. But there’s also a chance that this is the roster. And either way, I think our staff’s showing that we can figure out how to massage it throughout the year to get really positive and not always excellent, but really good results at the end.”
It may be a more boring alternative, but that does not necessarily mean it is wrong.
