The Michigan Wolverines saw their postseason end with a Big Ten Tournament title and run to the Sweet Sixteen, and now begins the process of rebuilding for 2025-26.
Dusty May's first team featured 11 newcomers, and several of them are either out of eligibility or will seek opportunities elsewhere. Meanwhile, recruiting high schoolers and the Transfer Portal is an everyday responsibility, the coach said, and the Wolverines have been aggressive in that front.
The Transfer Portal opened March 24 and remained open for 30 days — until April 22. Michigan has already lost players to the Portal and earned transfer commitments, and the program will also welcome a pair of freshmen this summer. In addition, starting next season, Division I men's basketball teams will be capped at 15 scholarship roster spots, giving programs like Michigan some extra flexibility.
With a lot of movement expected, we will update this article throughout the offseason to track Michigan's roster for 2025-26. It was last updated on Tuesday, May 27.
Here's what to know:
Michigan basketball: Who is out of eligibility?
The following Wolverines who were on scholarship have exhausted their collegiate eligibility:
Vladislav Goldin: Michigan's leading scorer appeared in 154 games across five seasons with Texas Tech, Florida Atlantic and the Wolverines. He paced U-M with 16.6 points and 1.4 blocks per game in 2024-25, and his departure means Michigan is in the market for a center this offseason.
Rubin Jones: Jones' lone season at Michigan followed four at North Texas. The pesky defender started the final 12 games for the Wolverines and averaged 21.6 minutes this year.
Who is transferring away from the Michigan Wolverines?
****Justin Pippen: The Chatsworth (Calif.) native is the son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen. The top-100 recruit was heralded as an excellent late add to the 2024 class by Dusty May after his hiring. Pippen appeared in 28 games and averaged 6.6 minutes his freshman season before a concussion sidelined him for the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. Pippen has committed to Cal.
****Jace Howard: The son of former Michigan head coach Juwan Howard, Jace played in five games this season, totaling 19 minutes, four points, six rebounds and an assist. He should qualify for a medical redshirt for a sixth season of eligibility after contributing to the past five in Ann Arbor. He has committed to Fordham.
****Sam Walters: The 6-foot-10 sharpshooter, who transferred in from Alabama last year, is leaving Michigan after a lone season. Walters did not travel with Michigan to the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis or to the NCAA Tournament in Denver and Atlanta as he missed more than a month to close the season with a back injury. He averaged 5.0 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in 12.7 minutes. He has committed to SMU.
Tre Donaldson: The junior averaged 11.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 31.1 minutes for U-M this season. He started all 37 games at point guard en route to the Big Ten Tournament championship and the Sweet Sixteen, hitting key shots in the postseason as Michigan enjoyed a successful first campaign under Dusty May. Donaldson has committed to Miami.
Phat Phat Brooks: As a true freshman, the guard appeared in 15 games with the Wolverines, averaging 0.8 points and 0.7 rebounds in 3.2 minutes per contest. Brooks is a longtime Michigan fan and commit who maintained his pledge to the program throughout last offseason's coaching change. He has committed to Central Michigan.
Who is transferring to Michigan?
Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina): A former five-star recruit, Cadeau averaged 9.4 points with 6.2 assists per game — good for second in the ACC — as a sophomore. He shot 44.5 percent from the field and 33.7 percent from three. Cadeau was also second in the ACC in turnovers, with 3.1 per game. Across two seasons, he played in 74 games as a freshman at North Carolina and made 68 starts.
Morez Johnson Jr. (Illinois): The 6-foot-9 big man spent his freshman season as a member of the Illini, where he averaged 7.0 points and 6.7 rebounds in 17.7 minutes. He came into college as a top-35 recruit nationally and the No. 1 player in the state of Illinois, per the 247Sports Composite, and had worked his way into the starting lineup before a wrist injury. The Illini Inquirer, the 247Sports site for Illinois, called him "a star in the making" due to his "toughness and tenacity." As a freshman, Johnson was an excellent offensive rebounder and played at both the '4' and the '5.'
Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB): The top-ranked player in the Transfer Portal committed to Michigan on April 5. He also went through the NBA Draft process with the intention of finding a guaranteed contract, but he withdrew on May 27. A 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward, Lendeborg averaged 17.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.8 blocks per game last season for the Blazers. In the process, he shot 52.2% from the field and 35.7% from three.
Aday Mara (UCLA): Mara is a 7-foot-3 rising junior who appeared in 61 games for the Bruins over the last two seasons. This past season, Mara averaged 6.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.0 assists per game, despite playing just 13.1 minutes per game. He ranked 14th nationally with a block rate of 17.1 percent and made 59.0 percent of his field goals (all 2-pointers).
Incoming freshmen for the 2025-26 Michigan Wolverines
****Trey McKenney: A McDonald's All-American, a 247Sports Composite five-star and Mr. Basketball of Michigan. The Orchard Lake St. Mary's product will almost certainly arrive to Ann Arbor as an impact player in the backcourt. 247Sports describes him as "a big-bodied scoring guard and unique backcourt match-up because of his very broad frame and massive 6-foot-9 wingspan. He plays with an aggressive scoring mentality and has an advanced understand of how to leverage his body type within his attack. He's powerful, physical, crafty, has a great left-hand, and is also very adept at scoring over top of contesting defenders in the mid-range area."
****Winters Grady: A 6-foot-5 wing from Prolific Prep (Calif.) who is considered a four-star, top-100 prospect in the 247Sports Composite. 247Sports describes him as "a skilled, shot-making wing with good positional size and strength."
****Oscar Goodman: The Kiwi will officially be a redshirt freshman next year, since he joined the Wolverines midway through the 2024-25 season after finishing high school in New Zealand. He considers himself a power forward but is "trying to turn into more of a small forward," which entails improving his outside shooting.
Who is returning from the 2024-25 Michigan basketball team?
****Roddy Gayle Jr.: The wing will stay at Michigan for a second season, he said at the NCAA Tournament. Gayle Jr. started 25 games for the Wolverines in 2024-25, averaging 9.8 points and 3.4 rebounds. Though his 3-point shooting endured a lengthy drought, his 26-point outburst against Texas A&M sent Michigan to the Sweet Sixteen.
****Will Tschetter: After the Sweet Sixteen loss, Tschetter said he will "100 percent" be back next season. He averaged 6.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 16 minutes, shooting 35.1% from 3-point range. Juwan Howard once described him as a future captain, and though he doesn't officially hold that title, Tschetter is an emotional leader for the team.
LJ Cason: An athletic freshman who emerged as a weapon off the bench in March and has three years left to play.
Nimari Burnett: The former top-50 prospect in the class of 2020 still has remaining eligibility due to COVID and a medical redshirt. He announced his return on April 21 with a simple message: “Let’s win it all.”
Who is leaving Michigan early for the NBA?
Danny Wolf: The 7-footer enjoyed a successful season at Michigan after transferring from Yale and declared for the NBA Draft on April 16. He is forging his remaining eligibility, which officially marks the end of his career in Ann Arbor. This was an expected outcome: Dusty May spoke candidly throughout the spring about how his staff "anticipate[s] Danny Wolf being an NBA player next year." His departure means U-M must replace both stars from its frontcourt in 2024-25.
Michigan Wolverines basketball 2025-26 scholarship chart
Below is the current projection for Michigan basketball's scholarship chart (limit: 15) in 2025-26:
Nimari Burnett
Elliot Cadeau
L.J. Cason
Oscar Goodman
Winters Grady
Roddy Gayle Jr.
Morez Johnson Jr.
Yaxel Lendeborg
Aday Mara
Trey McKenney
Will Tschetter
Story photo by Marc-Grégor Campredon / MGoBlog.com.