Michigan Basketball Needs Impactful Minutes from Bench

Defending college basketball national champion Michigan needs to find some quality depth coming off the bench, and the next few weeks will be a pivotal time to sift through the candidates.

The Wolverines host William & Mary on Sunday and then travel to face perennial power Villanova Nov. 21 in a primetime matchup on FOX.

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Michigan will get its first taste of playoff-style hoops beginning Nov. 24 when it faces Creighton in a first-round matchup of the Players Era 16 tournament in Las Vegas. 

The Wolverines won the tournament in grand fashion this past year and sent notice across the country they were a legitimate national title contender.

But Michigan had the luxury of utilizing a nine-man rotation through most of the season until sophomore guard LJ Cason suffered a torn ACL in late-February against Illinois. 

Still healing, Cason transferred to Miami, and is expected to sit out the entire season, so he would not have been able to help Michigan had he remained in Ann Arbor.

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During the Final Four, five-star freshman guard and projected starter Brandon McCoy Jr. signed with Michigan. But the big-time recruit also tore his ACL playing summer ball in Montenegro and will miss the entire 2026-27 campaign.

The result … 

Three games into this season, Michigan has been playing with just a six- to eight-man rotation – mostly six.

All three guards, Elliott Cadeau, Trey McKenney and Roddy Gayle Jr. were integral parts of the title team, but there isn’t much backcourt experience sitting on the bench behind them. If quality help doesn’t emerge, the trio will need to stay out of foul trouble and play injury free this season. 

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In the backcourt, sophomore Ricky Liburd and fifth-year transfer Kenny Noland are the likely candidates to step up and help. Playing limited minutes, Liburd canned one 3-point shot on his way to five points and four rebounds against UConn.

Michigan’s front court its talented but also thin on depth.  As starters, transfers J.P….

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Publish date : 2026-11-14 11:24:00

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