7. Michigan (4-0)
The very fabric of Michigan basketball has evolved and changed drastically since Dusty May came to campus a year and a half ago. The Wolverines were back in national contention and they aren’t exactly a Top 10 team this season by accident. An impressive offseason splurge of transfer talent has Michigan not just competing for a Big Ten title but in the thick of things in those national conversations yet again.
After being tested twice last week, it was a much simpler time for the Wolverines, who won their only game of the week at home 86-61 over Middle Tennessee. Michigan put together their best defensive performance of the early season while getting a 25-point, 12-rebound effort out of Yaxel Lendeborg, one of those key transfers. Aday Mara also had a double-double as the Wolverines survived a cold shooting night from beyond the arc.
There are no losses on this resume after three weeks but there are still reasons for concern in Ann Arbor. May’s lineup is still coming together with all these new pieces and they had really close calls earlier against both TCU and Wake Forest. There’s also been a pair of nights where the 3-pointers just weren’t falling, but this tough frontcourt helps alleviate those concerns. We’ll see if they’re enough to make major waves at the Players Era Festival, with contests at least against Auburn and San Diego State next week.