As the leaves begin to turn and the chill of fall settles in, the college basketball world is abuzz with preseason anticipation. For Michigan basketball fans, the upcoming 2025-26 season carries a weight of expectation, as the Wolverines are ranked among the nation's elite in early projections and poised for a potential championship run.
After a successful inaugural season for head coach Dusty May that saw the Wolverines reach the Sweet 16, according to Busting Brackets, the team enters this year as a projected top 5 national contender and is considered the second-best team in the formidable Big Ten Conference. This high placement in preseason polls, like the one from CBS Sports listing Michigan as a title contender, is a testament to May's masterful work in navigating the transfer portal and assembling a deep and talented roster.
The Wolverines faced significant departures in the offseason, losing their top three scorers and eight players in total to graduation, the NBA Draft (including first-rounder Danny Wolf), and the transfer portal. However, May responded by bringing in a highly-touted transfer class, headlined by UAB's Yaxel Lendeborg, who enters the season as a player to watch and potentially an All-American candidate. Joining Lendeborg are other impact transfers like Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina) and Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois), who are expected to fill key roles and contribute immediately. In fact, ESPN has projected three Michigan players – Lendeborg, Johnson, and Aday Mara – in the top 33 of their 2026 NBA Draft projections, further highlighting the talent assembled by May.
Despite the exciting new faces, Michigan will rely on a core group of returning players to provide continuity and leadership. Guard Nimari Burnett, known for his sharpshooting, is expected to lead the charge, supported by Roddy Gayle Jr., Will Tschetter, and LJ Cason. Cason showed flashes of offensive brilliance last season and could emerge as a key contributor in an expanded role. The addition of talented freshmen like five-star Trey McKenney and four-star Winters Grady further strengthens the Wolverines' rotation and adds to their depth.
The Wolverines' upcoming schedule presents both challenges and opportunities. While the non-conference schedule is more demanding than last year's, a few early slip-ups wouldn't be entirely surprising given the number of new players still integrating into the system. However, if Coach May can quickly foster team chemistry and maximize the potential of this talented group, Michigan possesses the firepower and depth to contend for the Big Ten Championship and potentially make a deep run into the NCAA Tournament.
As we are in the heat of football season, let’s not be quick to forget that Dusty May and his Wolverines have been griding in the background. Michigan basketball seems to have that special feeling again and should serve as great contender not only in the Big Ten, but in the national spotlight as well.
Some notable names like analyst Joe Lunardi are pegging the wolverines as a potential #2 seed in the NCAA tournament. Jon Rothstein (CBS Sports) has Michigan as “on the rise contender” and coming in at #2 behind Purdue in his Big Ten power rankings.