The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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22 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2026 2026 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE that were laid out prior to signing," May added. But each of Michigan's signees will have his opportunity as soon as they get on campus. That's when the coaches will start to figure out who fits where, etc., and who might see the most minutes. With two players on the roster all but guaranteed to start in Cadeau and Trey McKenney, it should be an extremely competitive battle. THE BIG THREE, PLUS TWO The "big three" additions, though, start with Thiam, McCoy and Costello, the lat- ter having signed in the early period last November. Thiam chose the Wolverines over sev- eral other suitors, including St. John's, Arkansas and Kansas. May had a chance to see him play in U-M's exhibition with Cincinnati last October when he scored 15 points in 26 minutes. "He's a lot different [than Michigan's previous centers]," May said. "Obviously, he's a center, and he's big, and he's tal- ented, he's skilled, but his game isn't like theirs. So, it's exciting to have another player with the talent he has that we can tweak our system to and play through a little bit. "He's got a lot of weapons in this tool- box. He's going to be fun to coach. But yeah, we're excited for him. Obviously, the rim protection and things like that — if you're going to have the type of de- fense we had this year, you need to build and clean some stuff up at the rim, and we think he's able to do that on the defensive end." Thiam can also run, and he has range beyond the three-point line, having aver- aged 12.8 points while shooting 29 per- cent from beyond the arc. He first got May's attention by dominating down low in the exhibition game. Even though Mara and Johnson didn't play, the Wolverines had no answers. "We think that he will be able to iden- tify some matchup advantages for us and attack on the perimeter and the low post and transition, whatever the case," May said. McCoy, meanwhile, has a chance to be one of the top freshman contributors in the country, given his skill set. His jump shot is evolving, but he's elite getting to the rim, he defends, and he plays with extreme confidence. He finished No. 3 in the final Rivals 100 and No. 11 in the Rivals Industry Ranking after leading Si- erra Canyon to a 30-1 record and the 2026 CIF-SS Open Division title while averag- ing 19.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He also earned 2026 California All-State Player of the Year honors. Add in guard Joseph Hartman of Gainesville (Fla.) The Rock School (6-6, 185, No. 89 in the Rivals Industry Rank- ing), a smooth guard who has possibly been overlooked in this class, and the Wolverines will bring in two outstanding backcourt players. "I think they're both going to be in contention to play … and I don't want to single those two out, [because] it's com- petition-based," May said. "I've been very adamant that USA Basketball, that expe- rience, the play at the highest level of high school hoops, it prepares players. … "Traditionally, if you had a guy that was the best player in his town, county, state and he's shooting 30 shots a game and then he comes to college, there's an adjustment, because every play is not go- ing to be run for him and things of that nature. With McCoy, he's played at a very high level. He's physically mature; he's a specimen athletically, and we expect him to make major contributions." Hartman could, too, having averaged 14.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game in an extremely tough conference. "Hartman is a very well-rounded basketball player. He can check a lot of boxes," May said. "He's played a lot of po- ❱ May "We've always done it a little different. I watch certain teams that recruit a certain profile or certain skill set. … We've always just really tried to find guys who love ball, who are great teammates, who are competitors." May and his staff thoughtfully assembled a nine-member prep and portal class through mid-May, and the coach acknowledged there were other potential additions still on U-M's radar. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL