We saw 11 players take the court in Michigan’s87-62 exhibition win over Eastern Michigan, and there was a lot to take away from the new-look squad. Trey McKenney led the team with 21 points, freshman Quinn Costello poured in 16 points off the bench, and Michigan utilized the pick-and-roll a lot, with Elliot Cadeau leading the way on offense as he did for much of last season.
But one player we didn’t see on Sunday is Roddy Gayle Jr., a key role player over the past two seasons. After playing with the Detroit
Pistons in the NBA Summer League, Gayle received a preliminary injunction from a New York judge, allowing him to play for the 2026-27 season just like many class of 2022 athletes.
After Michigan head coach Mike Boynton Jr. was cautiously optimistic at Big Ten Media Day in regards to Gayle’s status for the scrimmage, a wrinkle in his case took the court temporarily.
“All this stuff is fairly nuanced,” Boynton said. “His injunction order didn’t address his participation in Summer League. Simple as that. So there needs to be an amendment added to the injunction that includes not having anything to do with his participation in Summer League, which we hope will be in the next few days.
“Obviously we’re not involved in the judicial process ourselves. We talked to his attorneys and representatives. Looks like it was maybe just an oversight. Obviously, he and Kenny (Noland) are in the same boat. Kenny’s has the wording in it, Roddy’s doesn’t, so that was why.”
This sounds like a small procedural hurdle in Gayle’s legal process, but Boynton appears optimistic that Gayle will be able to play for Michigan moving forward. He gives Michigan another good defender, and his unique offensive skillset based off slashing and mid-range shooting works well with Michigan’s new personnel.
Uncertainty has been the name of the game in college basketball these days, and like many other schools across the country, Michigan is rolling with the legal punches.
“There’s an aspect of this that’s new for everybody,” Boynton said at Big Ten media day, referring to the dozens of active court cases involving college basketball players in Roddy’s situation across the country. “This is sort of uncharted territory…we think he’s got a strong case, we’re excited about the opportunity and the things that he adds to our team, and we look forward to going forward with the information he has in front of us.”
It’s been no secret that Gayle has struggled as a shooter at times in his previous two seasons at Michigan. The Ohio State transfer made less than a quarter of his attempts from three in his first season in Ann Arbor, before improving his three-point percentage from 23.2 percent to 31.8 percent last season.
The veteran wing knows he needs to be better from deep, and Boynton said he’s developed the scars to weather through more shooting struggles, should a slump happen this season.
“There were points in both of the last two seasons where he struggled with his shot in particular,” Boynton said. “I think going through that has helped him build some callouses, he can have a little bit more mental toughness after going through that. I think his shooting (has a chance to be better), but also his playmaking, he’s a more experienced passer, he sees the game a little bit clearer.”
While Gayle’s status with Michigan is temporarily TBD, Noland did play on Sunday, logging two points, two assists and a block in about 14 minutes. Noland will be counted on to play a key role off the bench and gives Michigan stability in the back court.
“Kenny has been a joy,” Boynton said. “His game, we’re going to ask him to do a lot of different things than he did at Columbia. He won’t be the starting point guard, clearly, but in a way, having a backup point guard like him is good enough to help you win. So he has a high floor, maybe not the highest ceiling, but it’s really important if Elliot is in foul trouble, or God forbid, rolls his ankle and has to miss a half or something like that, that the bottom doesn’t drop out because you don’t have someone that can run your team. He shoots the ball really well, he’s really smart, and I think he fits the way we play as well.”
Our next opportunity to see Gayle is on Friday, as Michigan hosts former assistant coach Justin Joyner and the Oregon State Beavers. That exhibition game tips off at 7 p.m. on B1G+.
