Ricky Liburd staying at Michigan under Mike Boynton Jr.

Michigan Wolverines basketball redshirt freshman guard/forward Ricky Liburd will remain with the program following the departure of head coach Dusty May to the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, according to CBS Sports reporter Jon Rothstein. Former assistant coach Mike Boynton Jr. has been promoted to interim head coach, likely for the 2026-27 season.

Liburd is one of 11 Michigan players to make their intentions of sticking with the program known, joined by senior guard Elliot Cadeau, freshman forward Lincoln Cosby, redshirt junior forward J.P. Estrella, freshman guard Joseph Hartman, sophomore guard Trey McKenney, freshman center Marcus Moller, graduate forward Jalen Reed, junior center Moustapha Thiam, freshman guard Malachi Brown and freshman guard Brandon McCoy Jr.

Michigan is still awaiting official word on junior guard L.J. Cason, freshman forward Quinn Costello and redshirt sophomore forward Oscar Goodman.

Source: Michigan's Ricky Liburd is staying with the Wolverines in 2026-27.

Another huge for development for Mike Boynton.

Liburd redshirted last year and is considered a potential breakout candidate in Ann Arbor.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 6, 2026

A 6-foot-4, 190-pound Hollywood, Fla., native, Liburd redshirted last season as Michigan went 37-3 and won the national championship. He’s a breakout candidate for this season, with May saying in April that he expected Liburd will have a role on next year’s team.

“I think Ricky’s going to play,” May said when asked who will be at the small forward position. “I think Oscar’s going to play. I think Brandon’s going to play. I mean, is Brandon McCoy going to be a three, two, one? Is Trey McKenney going to play the two or the one? Three? I don’t know yet. Maybe when we have our team here, and we look at them and see them play together and see who’s healthy and who’s not, I could give you a better idea of who’s going to play what positions and what roles, but right now I just don’t know.”

Last season, Liburd didn’t dress for many contests but supported his teammates, and in between games, Liburd was putting in work to prepare himself for future opportunities in Ann Arbor, redshirting this season.

“It’s been a great experience to watch and get accustomed to for next year,” Liburd told TheWolverine.com during Michigan’s NCAA Tournament run.

A star on Michigan’s scout team, Liburd has taken “as big of a jump as anyone in recent memory in half of a calendar year,” May said in March.

“Just being open minded to learning new roles, playing different players in scout, just trying to work on my game,” the 6-foot-4, 190-pounder said of his focus.

He improved his own skill set by helping the Wolverines prepare behind the scenes.

“I feel like my ball handling and making decisions with the ball,” Liburd said of where he’s grown. “I think I’m better at getting to the rim and able to make decisions, not just for myself but for my teammates.

“I’ve learned a lot, as far as defensive coverages and what you should do and how to use your body. It’s been a big adjustment, but I’ve gotten used to it.”

Before or after practice, Michigan players that don’t see a lot of playing time participate in ‘All-Star Games,’ the same name former head coach John Beilein called them, scrimmaging against each other. Sometimes, staff members or managers will fill out the teams to get to 10 total individuals.

“That’s the best part of our development,” Liburd said. “Being able to just play is the best way to get better. We’ve been using that to develop.”

Liburd was surprised at how focused the Michigan coaches are on players that are redshirting or not getting a lot of game action.

“I did not expect that, how focused they are on everybody, and how much time they put into people that aren’t even playing,” Liburd said.

A three-star prospect out of Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Sagemont Prep, Liburd was the No. 301 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, per the Rivals Industry Ranking.