Sports Illustrated’s Men’s College Basketball Preseason Top 25: No. 12 Michigan

Through Oct. 31, Sports Illustrated will count down its preseason college basketball Top 25 with overviews of each team. Here are the full rankings so far.

Inheriting a program that went 8–24 the previous year and immediately taking it to the Sweet 16 is yet another feather in Dusty May’s cap. The former FAU head coach has fit right in in Ann Arbor, Mich., leveraging the Wolverines’ superior resources combined with his sharp eye for talent to build a roster capable of going even deeper in this year’s NCAA tournament.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from May’s first season at Michigan was how creative he was with his big men. It helped to have a unique player in Danny Wolf with point guard skills as a 7-footer, but Wolf maximized the Wolf and Vlad Goldin duo. That made the Wolverines an attractive destination for frontcourt players in the portal, and Michigan took advantage. Michigan was also ahead of the curve on where the market was headed in this past spring’s NIL explosion, allowing them to strike quick and sign their four transfer additions all before April 15.

Can May fit the pieces together this year as seamlessly as he did in Year 1? If he can, the Wolverines have national title upside.

Projected Starting Lineup

PG: Elliot Cadeau
SG: Nimari Burnett
SF: Roddy Gayle Jr.
PF: Yaxel Lendeborg
C: Morez Johnson Jr.
Key Reserves: G L.J. Cason, G Trey McKenney, C Aday Mara

Key Additions

Michigan was white-knuckling it all the way up to the late-May NBA draft decision deadline as it waited to hear whether Yaxel Lendeborg would make it to campus. The UAB transfer had interest in the back end of the first round after averaging 17 points, 11 rebounds and four assists per game. The comparisons to Wolf are inevitable, but the two are very different players. Wolf is a more gifted passer, but Lendeborg is more physically imposing and better at dealing with contact. He’s a high-motor guy who seems almost guaranteed to produce at a high level.

At center, May added two talented youngsters who spent time at other Big Ten schools. Morez Johnson Jr. was a key part of the Illinois rotation as a freshman. He’s a beast on the boards and his speed in the open floor is a major weapon. With more minutes, he could average a double-double. The problem: He’ll be pushed heavily by Aday Mara, the 7' 3" Spaniard transferring in from UCLA. Mara’s eye-popping 17.1% block rate would’ve led the country if he had played enough minutes to qualify. He’s a potentially game-changing defender around the rim.

Who will get these bigs the ball? North Carolina transfer Elliot Cadeau. Cadeau had an uneven sophomore year in Chapel Hill, N.C., averaging nine points and six assists per game but struggling with turnovers and his limitations as a shooter. He fits in better here playing with bigs who can catch lobs and guards around him who are less ball-dominant. Don’t be surprised if Cadeau has a big season.

Michigan has a handful of veteran options to play next to Cadeau, but none have the upside of freshman Trey McKenney. The 225-pounder won’t be intimidated physically by the Big Ten and is capable of taking and making tough shots.

Causes for Concern

Cadeau is a difficult player to build around. I think the players around him at Michigan fit his strengths better than at North Carolina, but ball-dominant small guards who don’t shoot it well from three can cap the ceiling of an offense. Those concerns get magnified if the ball ends up in Lendeborg’s hands more, given Cadeau’s off-ball woes. The best moments (throwing lobs to Johnson and Mara, getting the Wolverines running in transition) will be fun to watch, but is he the guy to anchor a top-10 offense?

The Bottom Line

May did a lot with a transition year roster in 2024–25 and now has the type of talent to seriously compete for Final Fours and national championships. Lendeborg is a likely first-rounder, and both Mara and Johnson could play their way into that conversation before the year is up. If Michigan’s big bet on Cadeau pays off, this might be the Big Ten team most equipped to challenge Purdue for the conference title.