Michigan Men’s Basketball Season Around The Corner: What To Expect

After a Sweet 16 loss to Auburn in last season’s NCAA Tournament, Michigan head coach Dusty May and his staff have spent the last seven months building and preparing this season’s squad for a new year. 

May’s first season as head coach for the Wolverines went quite well. He took over the program after the worst season in Michigan men’s basketball history, and immediately restored it to its place among the top programs in the country. 

The Wolverines started last season under the radar, but they don’t have that luxury this season, as they slot in at No. 7 in the preseason AP Poll Top 25 rankings.

Here’s what to expect when Michigan’s season begins Nov. 3 against Oakland…

The Wolverines have all the pieces to be a top team this season, not only in the Big Ten, but in the country. Despite losing some major contributors from last year, senior guard Roddy Gayle Jr., graduate guard Nimari Burnett, graduate forward Will Tschetter, and sophomore guard L.J. Cason all returned after playing big roles down the stretch for the Wolverines.

The returning class — alongside the second-ranked transfer class in the country and some talented freshmen — have all the makings of a squad that can eventually make a splash in March, and maybe even early April.

In both of Michigan’s exhibition games against Cincinnati and No. 5 St. Johns, graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg looked like the best player on the court. This is what Michigan expects out of Lendeborg, as he was ranked as the No. 1 transfer in his class and named to the NABC National Player of the Year watch list.

In the two exhibition contests, Lendeborg averaged 28 points and 11 rebounds on 20-for-31 shooting from the field. He can do everything on the court: He can shoot, defend, handle the ball, pass, and rebound. Given he stays healthy, he should be receiving National Player of the Year attention all season.

The Wolverines, like many bigger programs nowadays, have opted to test themselves in their non-conference schedule. Outside of the always-tough Big Ten opponents, Michigan will play the likes of No. 6 Duke, No. 20 Auburn, Villanova, Wake Forest, and TCU. 

All of these games will give the Wolverines a chance to boost their resume and gain valuable experience playing against other power conference opponents. A consequence of this tough scheduling, however, is that Michigan might drop a few of these games. Still, May and his staff value the benefits of these games over the potential downsides that come with a loss.

Junior guard Elliot Cadeau’s play is going to be very important this season. When it comes to true point guards, Michigan is a little short-staffed, with Cadeau being the only one that has occupied the role at the college level. Good point guard play is paramount in college basketball, and Cadeau carries almost all of that burden for the Wolverines.

Cadeau is an elite passer that likes to get to the rim to score. His jump shot is inconsistent, but has improved in that aspect to the point where opposing teams have to at least respect him as a threat behind the arc. Michigan will ask Cadeau to pair his passing abilities with improved decision-making, and if he can do that, the Wolverines will be in a good spot.

Michigan eclipsed the 20-turnover mark in both of its exhibition games, a sight that those who watched the Wolverines last season will be quite familiar with. There’s no reason as to why those numbers shouldn’t go down as the season progresses, but it isn’t going to happen overnight.

For the first month or so of the season, Michigan’s turnovers will probably remain higher than May wants them to be. The Wolverines have a lot of new faces, and they like to play fast. These two factors can cause an excess of turnovers, but as the team gels, mistakes get cleaned up. Still, it will take a lot of reps to get to that point.