Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, and Aday Mara have made their NBA debuts, as has Dusty May. That leaves the Michigan Wolverines with a lot of rebuilding to do following last season’s incredible national championship run. Kenpom puts the team No. 28 to start the year, while AP Poll is higher at 16th, which shows there are a lot of unknowns heading into this new era.
Mike Boynton’s first game in charge comes against the Oakland Grizzlies, who have missed the NCAA Tournament the past two years after
that hilarious upset over Kentucky in 2024. The official Horizon League preseason poll has the Grizzlies fourth in the conference with Kenpom putting them third, good for 199th overall — a decent squad but an appropriate season opener.
Obviously, this is a game Michigan should be winning, but it is likely to come with plenty of bumps along the way. The exhibition games gave a little taste of what this roster could potentially look like, but nothing is certain until the ball is officially tipped. The Wolverines have a massive title game rematch this Friday, so while this is a gentle on-ramp, things are going to get intense quickly.
Oakland (0-0) at No. 16 Michigan (0-0)
Date & Time: Monday, Nov. 2, 6 p.m. ET
Location: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, MI
TV/Streaming: BTN
This is the second-straight season opening against Oakland, so maybe that is a good sign of things to come! Last season saw the Wolverines bring a 69-38 (!!) lead into halftime on their way to a 121-point outburst, which was their highest total of the season. The teams met early in the 2020-21 campaign as well — which also saw a banner raised — though that contest was much more competitive, leading to the famous refrain of “How good is Oakland?!”
Can the backcourt take the lead?
With those three lottery picks gone, the 2026-27 Wolverines are going to look significantly different than their predecessor on both ends of the court. Fortunately, Boynton was able to retain two elite guards to take over as drivers of this offense and overall leaders. Unsurprisingly, both Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten Team, but having them live up to this honor is much more of a need than a luxury.
While Cadeau brought down his turnover rate from his time at UNC, running the offense efficiently will be as important as ever this year; similarly, his ability to stay out of foul trouble is something to watch after some preseason troubles. For McKenney, an expanded role may test his efficiency, as his jumper is a huge asset but one that is going to be relied upon much more heavily.
Michigan should be just fine against the Oakland backcourt, but this is the first real chance to see what this squad looks like with the shifted center of gravity. Of course, Moustapha Thiam and JP Estrella will be big factors (especially against mid-majors with a size disadvantage), but this year will go as far as the Cadeau-McKenney duo can take the team.
How reliable is the bench?
Getting Roddy Gayle back was enormous, though the Wolverines are still going to need to get some significant contributions from the bench. There are plenty of candidates to take a step forward into the picture, with backups at nearly every spot projected to get some opportunities to play, especially early on as the new-look roster finds its identity.
Buy games should offer a chance for a ton of players to get involved, and even with his familiarity with the program, Boynton is coming into this year with essentially no baggage nor preconceived notions; he has a blank slate, but very real metrics to meet, so he is going to lean on who he can trust most. This is a good thing for rotation players who can seize the chance in front of them.
The thing is, the closer this game gets, the more the starters will have to play, as Michigan cannot risk an opening night upset. Ironically, that means that in order to learn more about how strong the bench actually is, the first five will need to hold up their end of the bargain. As massive favorites, this should not be a problem, and hopefully Quinn Costello, Ricky Liburd, Jalen Reed, and Kenny Noland get plenty of chances to make some highlights.
Will Oakland launch a ton of threes?
Last season, the Grizzlies were just 294th in three-point rate (though 130th in accuracy), but like Michigan, the roster is going to look a lot different this year. Greg Kampe’s squad has not been shy letting it rip from behind the arc this preseason, including Northern Iowa transfer RJ Taylor and 40-percent career three-point shooter Nassim Mashhour, who is coming off an injury that took away most of last year.
The interior is where Michigan’s defense is likely to see the biggest dropoff, but remember that the 2025-26 squad was near the best in the country at preventing three-point attempts and makes. This season could certainly see a regression in this area as the entire defense reshuffles, and both Oregon State and Houston found some opportunities from deep in the preseason.
On Monday, the Wolverines must be very aware of this possibility, as the best route to an upset is usually from long range. Ensuring the coverage is right and there are minimal breakdowns defending the perimeter is even more important knowing UConn is on deck. I suspect there will be some frustrating miscommunications to start, so three-point defense is definitely something to watch in the opener.
