Critical Michigan basketball roles could be filled by unsung returners

The most notable Michigan basketball returnees are Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney. The most exciting, proven players came from the transfer portal in Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati), J.P. Estrella (Tennessee) and Jalen Reed (LSU). The most intriguing prospects came from the high school ranks, and five-star Brandon McCoy (Sierra Canyon) tops the list.

But in terms of potential glue guys and those who could make a sneaky impact on next year’s roster, it’s two holdovers from the 2025-26 national championship team who could be flying under the radar more than anybody.

“Oscar Goodman and Ricky Liburd, I think they’ve even gotten buried in terms of attention below the incoming freshman class,” assistant coach Mike Boynton Jr. told the Free Press when he joined the “Hail Yes!” podcast earlier this week. “Oscar’s been in our program for two years. He knows our system really, really well.

“He has an opportunity to be a nice rotational player for us, a guy who fills an energy, rebounding, versatile defender [role] … think of the energy and versatility that we were able to use Will Tschetter with. Shoots it well, brings great energy, tough enough to guard multiple positions, so it gives you great versatility in a system that requires it.”

Goodman, a 6-foot-7, 235-pound forward from New Zealand, was buried on the depth chart this past season behind Aday Mara, Morez Johnson Jr., Yaxel Lendeborg and Tschetter in what was a crowded frontcourt. But he didn’t look overmatched when he was on the court.

His highlights were a few high-flying dunks, as Goodman, who appeared in 16 games, averaged 1.4 points and 1.3 rebounds in 5.2 minutes per contest. Goodman joined in the program in January 2025 and was able to serve on scout team in practice for the back half of Dusty May’s first season with the program, then was a freshman last year who got his first complete season of experience.

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Goodman is strong enough to play the four but athletic enough to play the wing, a position he may need to fill more than initially expected without many natural 3s on the roster.

U-M can go a few ways, with someone like McKenney running the wing in a small ball lineup or someone like Goodman manning the spot in a larger lineup, and if his early years are any indication, May will likely try both options.

“He’s not a one-trick pony kind of guy,” Boynton said of Goodman.

Meanwhile, Liburd, who redshirted in 2025-26 after coming in as an unheralded three-star out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, impressed coaches behind the scenes and appears poised to crack the rotation next season.

The 6-foot-4 wing came up frequently last season as a standout on the scout team and, after putting in time behind the scenes, could be a real piece to U-M’s new puzzle.

“He’s flown under the radar as much as anybody because he was new to our program and didn’t play at all,” Boynton said. “He’s a guy who’s got the ability to both defend one-through-four from his size, quickness, strength, physicality and he can also play offensively in any of our perimeter spots, as well.

“He can be a floor-spacer, he can be a shot-creator, he’s a guy who’s really good on the move as a cutter and offensive rebounder. I think both of those guys are names people should just right now pencil in and keep their eyes on early in the year to see how they progress.”

Boynton said the hope is that Michigan can get those guys “a lot of reps” on the team’s foreign trip this summer (which hasn’t been officially reported but appears almost a certainty to happen sometime in late August) to find out how they fit with the new pieces and see the leap they’ve taken from one year to the next.

Boynton isn’t the only one with high hopes for this team. Assistant coach and general manager Kyle Church recently joined Brian Boesch on “Defend The Block” and lauded where the Wolverines stand with their roster largely complete. He spoke of the importance of players who help keep the culture going from one year to the next, which Goodman and Liburd both intend to do.

“I think we have a very, very competitive roster. I think a potential top-five, top-10 type roster,” Church said. “No matter who joins us or doesn’t join us, we’re really excited about the position we’re in.

“To have some guys that [joined] more with the future in mind and keep that continuity is going to be so important.”

Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.