8. Michigan (4-1)
Last season was abhorrent in Ann Arbor, but new coach Dusty May is hoping to put that era far in the rearview mirror. The former Florida Atlantic coach inherits a Wolverines squad that won just eight games but looks far different this season. There is significant basketball success within the last decade alone, but can this Michigan team really get back to that level this season or in the near future?
The Wolverines decimated Cleveland State on opening night before a tough 2-point loss to Wake Forest in the opening weekend. They bounced back nicely with a double-digit win over TCU and have taken care of business against their other opponents. The jury is still out on this new-look Michigan squad, but the offense has been relatively strong and there aren’t too many early complains about the defense.
Guards Nimari Burnett and Tre Donaldson are the leading scorers while former Yale forward Danny Wolf is averaging nearly a double-double through five games. After the way things fell apart last season, this start is a breath of fresh air for Wolverines fans, though this team is still far from perfect at this point. There’s work to be done, with names like Vladislav Goldin not exactly putting up eye-popping numbers, as there’s legitimate potential for great things this season for the Wolverines.