Michigan basketball: Superlatives for lead dog, most improved player, more

The Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball team tips off its 2025-26 season on Monday night against Oakland University in the first step of what could be a memorable season.

In our basketball preview portion of this month’s The Wolverine Magazine, we ran down some superlatives on the roster, the projected rotation and more. You can nab your copy of the full preview over at thewolverineondemand.com.

Breakout Player

Graduate forward Yaxel Lendeborg

U-M’s biggest addition yet in the transfer portal era is a big one, landing the top-ranked player and a potential National Player of the Year candidate in Yaxel Lendeborg. The Wolverines were able to hold off his desire to play in the NBA for one more go-round at the college level on a potential title contender. Lendeborg should fill a similar role to last year’s breakout star Danny Wolf, who was a first-round pick of the Brooklyn Nets this spring.

Most Improved Returnee

Sophomore guard LJ Cason

Cason was a late addition to last year’s recruiting class and had plenty of impressive moments during his freshman season, but he had plenty of improvements to make. By all accounts, he has, and has a chance to be one of the team’s breakout players and perhaps more of an on-ball role due to U-M’s roster construction. If he can cut it on the defensive end of the floor, it would not be surprising to see him make a much bigger impact.

Unsung Hero

Graduate guard Nimari Burnett

Once upon a time, the sixth-year guard entered the Michigan program with questions about his offensive game and a long history of injury-hampered seasons. Since then, he has started and played in all 69 games in Ann Arbor on both ends of the spectrum, both in an 8-win season in 2023-24 and last year’s run to the Sweet Sixteen. 

Surprise Impact

Freshman guard/forward Winters Grady

Most of the hype has gone towards freshman guard Trey McKenney, and rightfully so. But Grady, the No. 59 overall recruit in the country, looks like he can add some immediate value as a quick-release shooter off the bench. The Wolverines lacked consistent shot-making off the bench last year and Grady could provide that from the jump as a first-year contributor.

Likely Rotation

Point Guard: Junior Elliot Cadeau (9.4 ppg, 2.9 reb, 6.2 ast, 44.5% FG at North Carolina)
Shooting Guard: Graduate Nimari Burnett (9.4 ppg, 3.5 reb, 1.5 ast, 47.6% FG)
Small Forward: Senior Roddy Gayle Jr. (9.8 ppg, 3.4 reb, 2.2 ast, 43.1% FG)
Power Forward: Graduate Yaxel Lendeborg (17.7 ppg, 11.4 reb, 4.2 ast, 52.2% FG at UAB)
Center: Morez Johnson Jr. (7.0 ppg, 6.7 reb, 0.3 ast, 64.2% FG at Illinois)

Three Toughest Non-Conference Challenges

1. vs. Duke (Washington, D.C.), Feb. 21
Two historic college basketball programs will meet late in the season for a non-conference clash a few weeks before the end of the regular season, with storylines aplenty. Both Duke and Michigan are expected to be in the mix again this year, and could potentially be a preview for the NCAA Tournament that tips off a month after the game.

2. Players Era Championship (Las Vegas, Nevada), Nov. 24-26
The 18-team tournament features 27 games over three days at MGM Garden Arena and Michelob ULTRA Arena in Vegas. U-M’s first two opponents have been revealed with a tilt against San Diego State on Nov. 24 and a Sweet Sixteen rematch with Auburn on Nov. 25. Both games will be at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Seeding for the championship and third-place games will be based on records, point differential, points scored and points allowed. The event features over $20 million in ancillary NIL opportunities.

3. vs. Wake Forest (Detroit, Michigan), Nov. 11
The Demon Deacons make a return trip from a semi-home-and-home series from last season, where Wake Forest won a 72-70 showdown in Greensboro, North Carolina. This year’s game will take place at Little Caesars Arena, home of the Detroit Pistons.