The Wolverines won the national championship back in April, the second title in program history, and things have changed quite a bit since then. It’s not just about some of those key players being gone, but head coach Dusty May departed late in the offseason for the head coaching job of the Dallas Mavericks. The Wolverines quickly thrust their future into Mike Boynton Jr., the associate head coach and a former head coach with Oklahoma State who’s a great recruiter with a sketchy track record running his own show.
Each a massive part of that title run, Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson, and Aday Mara each became NBA Draft picks back in June. Even with May’s departure, the Wolverines are far from struggling, with both Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney coming back as the returning faces in the backcourt. There’s a few other returners further down the depth chart, but getting back a pair of champion guards certainly sets Boynton up for immediate success.
Bunch of new talent in Ann Arbor
The Wolverines built a nationally relevant recruiting class, though Top 15 prospect Brandon McCoy was recently injured and his status is unknown. 4-star’s Quinn Costello and Joseph Hartman will also be notable this season alongside a transfer haul. The eligibility of former Columbia guard Kenny Noland remains in question, though the Wolverines reloaded in the frontcourt. J. P. Estrella should be a starter after great work at Tennessee while Jalen Reed comes from LSU with his own significant potential.
The third and most relevant frontcourt addition is Moustapha Thiam, who should fit nicely with the Wolverines. A 7-2 center out of Senegal, Thiam enters year three of his collegiate journey, spending a year apiece at UCF and Cincinnati in the Big 12. Thiam was the league’s top shot blocker as a freshman with the Knights before becoming even more complete with the Bearcats, averaging 12.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks last season.
New coach = new look
While May is gone, Michigan has built their recent success on these talented big men transfers. That was all too clear with Lendeborg and Johnson standing out last season, while it’s hard to forget what Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin meant the year prior. Thiam is a significant presence who’s already shown his shot blocking prowess and could develop into the best big in the Big Ten. Not only is he a great talent with potential as an upperclassman, but he clearly fills a massive need with those offseason departures.
Two known returners solidify the backcourt in Cadeau and McKenney and plenty of new freshmen and transfers help fill the other holes on the roster. There’s certainly a question of how this team will change with May’s departure, but it’s not questionable that Thiam will be a significant presence. Michigan has the talent where another deep Tourney run is very possible and they’ll need their new 7-footer playing at a high level on both ends.
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