The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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44 THE WOLVERINE ❱ NOVEMBER 2026 2026-27 BASKETBALL PREVIEW deal of success here in recent years — that's a positive sign. "His numbers show that he's ready for a bigger role. His talent and those around him in this rotation can allow him to re- ally showcase what we've seen in short bursts over his first few years in college." JALEN REED 6-9, 245, GR., F A pair of serious inju- ries — Achilles last year, ACL tear the year before — ended Reed's seasons at LSU. But he is making his way back after aver- aging 9.5 points and 5.7 rebounds in a half-dozen games before last season's exit. Reed can provide Mich- igan depth in the front court and adds size and strength to the roster. Reed played 12 minutes in the Wolver- ines' exhibition against EMU, hitting 1 free throw out of 3 attempts. He is capable of much more, and Boynton has a roster makeup that will allow the transfer time to knock off the rust. "Just him being able to play right now is a huge, huge boost," Boesch said. "I think he's a wild card. Not many players go, in essence, two years without playing bas- ketball. He appeared in 14 games. Some of his film at LSU is enticing. It's exciting. We'll see how the health goes. With him, it's worth being patient about his role, his productivity. Everything else — talent, frame, personality, intelligence — is all there. "Will his body catch up? If so, when? That's the big story line to watch with him." KENNY NOLAND 6-2, 185, GR., G No l a n d g ive s t h e Wolverines a very solid backup point guard be- hind Cadeau. The trans- fer from Columbia is on the roster after a tem- porary restraining order was issued in the eligibility litigation be- tween some players in the NCAA. Barring unforeseen legal movement, Noland will bring to Crisler Center the skills that allowed him to average career- bests of 17.1 points, 3.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game a season ago in addition to 3.4 rebounds per contest. Noland paced Columbia with 480 points on the season, topping out against Dartmouth with 28 points along with 11 rebounds. Over the course of his career, Noland appeared in 111 games with 57 starts, playing 14 min- utes of Michigan's exhibition opener. "He's just a great insurance policy, both within a game and within a sea- son," Boesch said. "He averaged 17 points a game at Columbia, and that's [former Wolverine] Mike Smith range. Mike Smith did some great things for Michigan a few years ago. Because of Elliot, I don't ex- pect to see him a ton. If he's able to play this season, having a veteran guard who can come in and operate the offense, it's a huge, huge luxury to have. I'm excited about his presence on the roster, even though I don't expect he'll be closing games or among the team's leaders in stats." QUINN COSTELLO 6-10, 220, FR., F Costello became im- mediately noticeable in Michigan's exhibition opener, scoring 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting, including 4-for-8 from three-point range. He grabbed 5 rebounds and plenty of atten- tion for someone seeing his first collegiate action. A product of The Newman School in Medford, Mass., Costello came in as the No. 24 prep in the nation by Rivals and a McDonald's All-American after averag- ing 17.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists as a high school senior. Costello will add size and an outside shooting threat to the Wolverines' lineup. "It's tough not to be impressed with the upside," Boesch said. "His shooting ability has been here pretty much since he's arrived. We've seen it in Europe and against Eastern Michigan. The length, his basketball IQ, his background … a super- impressive kid. Coach Boynton said he's been a little bit under the radar. If he hits any sort of higher-percentile outcome, he's got a chance to make an impact — and a pretty big one — on this year's team." JOSEPH HARTMAN 6-6, 200, FR., G Hartman proved another head turner against EMU, scoring 10 points on 4-for-5 shooting, including con- necting on 2 of 3 of his three-pointers. He also managed an assist and a steal, after coming to Ann Arbor ranked No. 83 in the nation by Rivals. The rookie from Richmond, Va., ma- triculated from The Rock School in Florida, where he averaged 14.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game as a senior. He also posted averages of 5.3 assists and 2.1 steals per game, including a feature game against Lake Highlands involving 29 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Hart- man's father, Carlin, serves as Florida's associate head coach. "You can tell he is the son of a coach and a really good one," Boesch observed. "If there were no Kenny Noland, I think Hartman would probably be in a spot to have a chance to play right away. Maybe he still does. We'll see. To me, he prob- ably impressed me the most, compared to what I was curious about going into the first exhibition. He seems to be a guy who makes the right play at the right time, has some interesting size, ability and talent. "There's often a guy on that fringe, where if there's injury or lack of produc- tivity elsewhere offers him an opportu- nity, I think he could have an impact on the team." MALACHI BROWN 6-6, 205, FR., G Rivals placed Brown No. 7 on the state of Ten- nessee's overall prospect list and the No. 57 small forward in the nation out of Knoxville Catholic, where he averaged 15.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game as a senior. Brown earned eight minutes of playing time and nicked 2 steals in the exhibition against Eastern Michigan. He will likely face an uphill battle seeing immediate playing time, but Brown definitely has a longer-term upside. "He feels like that next [sophomore guard] Ricky Liburd or L.J. Cason — a long-term project," Boesch said. "And long-term projects, anymore, are only a year or two, before you need to showcase