The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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NOVEMBER 2026 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 39 2026-27 BASKETBALL PREVIEW BY CLAYTON SAYFIE 1. Illinois (28-9 overall, 15-5 Big Ten last season) Brad Underwood's group returns three start- ers and its sixth man from a Final Four team that had the nation's second-most efficient of- fense last season. The Fighting Illini lost point guard Keaton Wagler to the NBA (No. 5 overall, LA Clippers), and he was a difference-maker, but they have a pair of the best players in the conference back in sophomore forward David Mirkovic and senior guard Andrej Stojakovic. 2. Michigan State (27-8, 15-5) Senior point guard Jeremy Fears Jr. — the media's pick for pre- season Big Ten Player of the Year — is back after the Spartans made the Sweet 16 last season. Florida At l a n t i c fo r w a rd transfer Kaleb Glenn is healthy after missing all of last season with injury, 7-foot-2 Charlotte transfer Anton Bonke will likely start at center and the Spartans have terrific underclassman talent, too. 3. Michigan (37-3, 19-1) Michigan lost coach Dusty May and three lot- tery picks to the NBA, but new head man Mike Boynton Jr. has a lot of talent to work with, even after five-star freshman Brandon McCoy Jr. went down with a season-ending injury. The back- court figures to be one of the best in the nation, headlined by graduate Roddy Gayle Jr., senior Elliot Cadeau and sophomore Trey McKenney. 4. UCLA (24-12, 13-7) Much of UCLA's core departed the team, but guard Trent Perry and forward Eric Dailey Jr. both averaged in double figures last season. Mick Cronin has a highly paid group of newcom- ers, too, including Serbian wing Nikola Kusturica, who averaged 24.6 points per game at the U17 World Cup this year. 5. Nebraska (28-7, 15-5) Nebraska finally did it, winning its first-ever NCAA Tournament game last season, reaching the Sweet 16. Perhaps the best shooter in the conference, wing Pryce Sandfort (41 percent from three-point distance) is back. Fred Hoiberg hit the transfer portal heavily to replace big men Rienk Mast and Berke Buyuktuncel and guards Sam Hoiberg and Jamarques Lawrence. 6. USC (18-14, 7-13) USC had a disastrous season a year ago, but Eric Musselman has the most talent he's pos- sessed during his tenure. Guard Rodney Rice, who missed most of last year with an injury, is back, five-star freshman-turned-sophomore Alijah Arenas should take the next step, and the Trojans added a scorer in Georgetown guard transfer KJ Lewis, who put up 14.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals per night. 7. Ohio State (21-13, 12-8) Guard John Mobley Jr. is one of the best sharp- shooters in the country at 41.1 percent from deep last season, carrying a lot of gravity with him. The backcourt will look different without Bruce Thornton, who started 136 games over the previous four seasons. Michigan and Cal transfer Justin Pippen will be a key contributor. 8. Indiana (18-14, 9-11) Head coach Darian DeVries missed the NCAA Tournament in Year 1 and is projected to start five transfers this season. Former Notre Dame guard Markus Burton (18.5 points per game) and Alabama forward import Aiden Sherrell (11.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.3 blocks) headline the group of new players. 9. Wisconsin (24-11, 14-6) Greg Gard has continuity in the frontcourt, with Austin Rapp and Nolan Winter returning. Australian guard Owen Foxwell was super pro- ductive with Melbourne Phoenix in the Austra- lian NBL, the country's top professional league, and will determine a lot of the team's success from the point guard spot. 10. Purdue (30-9, 13-7) The Braden Smith-Trey Kaufman-Renn- Fletcher Loyer era is over in West Lafayette. But key contributors are back, including point guard Omer Mayer, who recorded 5.6 points and 1.2 assists per game while backing up Smith on last year's Elite Eight team. Big man Daniel Jacob- sen, who stands 7-foot-4, provides an anchor in the middle defensively (1.2 blocks per game). 11. Maryland (12-21, 4-16) Maryland was a disaster last season, its first under Buzz Williams. But more time and thought went into building this roster around big man Pharrel Payne, who missed all but 10 games with injury last season. Look out for D.J. Wagner, an Arkansas transfer and former five- star recruit, and returner Andre Mills, who re- corded 12.2 points per game last season, in the backcourt. 12. Iowa (24-13, 10-10) Head man Ben McCollum led an improbable Elite Eight march last season, but for the first time in four years (across three different coach- ing stops) he won't have point guard Bennett Stirtz. Saint Mary's transfer Andrew McKeever, a 7-foot-3 big who averaged 8.2 points and 9.2 re- bounds per game last season, was a big pickup. 13. Minnesota (15-18, 8-12) In Year 1 under Niko Medved, the Golden Gophers lacked talent but weren't easy to play. Now, they only look more formidable with a lot of transfers coming in, including two from Michigan in Winters Grady and Malick Kordel. 14. Washington (16-17, 7-13) The Huskies made progress in their second season under Danny Sprinkle, but losing guard Zoom Diallo to Kentucky and Hannes Steinbach to the NBA (No. 14 overall, Charlotte Hornets) will make it difficult to take another jump. 15. Rutgers (14-20, 6-14) The Scarlet Knights won five of their last nine games in the Big Ten, and they bring back their backcourt tandem of Tariq Francis (16.9 points per game) and Jamichael Davis (7.2). They have to shore up their rebounding woes, though. 16. Oregon (12-20, 5-15) Oregon's season was plagued by injury in 2025-26, posting its lowest win total since 2008- 09. The roster has been overhauled and while there's less top-end talent, the depth seems improved. But losing coach Dana Altman to retirement just weeks before the season with assistant Tony Stubblefield taking over is a major blow to the Ducks' chances to compete. 17. Northwestern (15-19, 5-15) Point guard Jake West had a promising fresh- man season, but Chris Collins will rely on a lot of transfers to have a bounce-back campaign. 18. Penn State (12-20, 3-17) Mike Rhoades admitted this offseason that his program is "at the bottom" of the Big Ten in funding. That's why he's going to rely on up- transfers and international prospects, making them a big question mark. ❑ BIG TEN PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS The presence of graduate Roddy Gayle Jr., a 1,000-point s c o r e r w i t h 7 2 c o l l eg i a t e starts, will make the Wolverines backcourt one of the best in the nation in 2026-27. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL TOP FIVE PLAYERS IN THE BIG TEN 1. Michigan State guard Jeremy Fears Jr. 2. Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau 3. Illinois forward David Mirkovic 4. Nebraska forward Pryce Sandfort 5. Michigan guard Trey McKenney