Michigan

Michigan basketball has simple objective for 2026 Big Ten Tournament

Published

3 months ago

March 13, 2026

Press Room

Michigan basketball has simple objective for 2026 Big Ten Tournament

In 2025, the Big Ten Tournament was hugely important for Michigan basketball.

The Wolverines had lost four of their final six regular-season games, falling out of the Big Ten title race in Year 1 of the Dusty May era. Putting together a competent weekend in Indianapolis was critical to take some momentum into the NCAA Tournament.

2026, however, is different. No. 3 Michigan (29-2, 19-1 Big Ten) was arguably the best team in the nation this season, dominating the Big Ten en route to a league-record 19 wins in conference play and a four-game gap between it and the next closest team.

Michigan has not shied away from discussing its ultimate goal − the national championship − and the Big Ten regular-season title was a key part of that. But what about the league tournament – a potential three games of distraction before the real postseason begins?

“Sometimes there are coaches that discredit the Big Ten tournament,” May said this week. “Whoever wins this tournament this year in what we think is the best league in the country, then we’re going to have a lot of respect for them and the job they did.

“Because whether they win three games in three days or four games in four days against really good teams, it’s not that simple.”

Michigan intends to be that team. Nimari Burnett demonstrated that this week with a social media post featuring pictures of him cutting down the net in Ann Arbor after U-M’s 90-80 senior day win over MSU, and another with the Big Ten trophy.

His caption? “1 of 3,” with an emoji of a trophy next to it.

Fellow senior Will Tschetter had the net hanging around his neck on Sunday following the final home game of a five-year career spent entirely in maize and blue. He has been on teams that needed Big Ten tourney runs − like the 2022-23 team that found itself on the wrong side of the bubble after an early loss to Rutgers − but just because U-M has a 1-seed locked up, he won’t mail it in at United Center.

“Our next goal is the Big Ten Tournament,” he said. “We’re turning our head to that, that’s one of our three [primary goals] and so we’ve got to make sure we capitalize on that.”

U-M’s postseason begins on Friday (noon, Big Ten Network) with a third matchup with rival Ohio State, a 72-69 winner over Iowa on Thursday in the third round of the Big Ten tourney. The Wolverines already have two wins over the Buckeyes: a 12-pointer in Ann Arbor in January in which they closed with a 24-12 run, and a 21-pointer in Columbus in February. This will be the eighth season in which U-M and OSU meet three times; the Wolverines have never beaten the Buckeyes three times in a season.

Former Buckeye Roddy Gayle Jr. has taken his game up a level in March − he had a game-clinching block and steal in a tight win over Iowa last week before scoring 15 points (his second-best total this season) against the Spartans last weekend.

Asked about grand goals such as April’s Final Four in Indianapolis, he didn’t even want to look past the next task on U-M’s schedule.

“Not looking too far past the opponent in front of us, because we know how easy it is for there to be an upset and how frequent it is to be upset, especially in March,” he said. “Being able to play our best ball, that’s something that we’ve been doing and hopefully we can keep it going.”

Michigan will be a 1-seed when the NCAA field of 69 is unveiled Sunday, no matter what happens in the Windy City. Perhaps the Wolverines’ primary focus should be finding new rotations without the services of L.J. Cason (out for the season with an ACL tear) and making sure no one is too worn down for the tournament that truly matters.

And yet, as May has said time and time again, his team is a group of competitors. Playing at half-speed or without full conviction simply isn’t an option.

Once the ball is tipped, his team has one simple objective.

“We’re going to go compete, we’re going to try to win,” May said. “We’re never going to go to Chicago … and not give our best and compete to win.”

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

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Michigan football’s toughest games in 2026: Ranking top-4 gantlet

Published

4 hours ago

June 11, 2026

Press Room

Michigan football’s toughest games in 2026: Ranking top-4 gantlet

This is part three of a three-part series ranking Michigan football’s toughest games in the 2026 season, the first under new coach Kyle Whittingham. Part 1 and part 2 can be found here.

No. 4: Oklahoma (Sept. 12, noon, Fox)

The first evidence that Michigan football’s 2025 campaign might not be what fans hoped came Week 2 in Norman, Oklahoma, when the Wolverines lost 24-13 in Bryce Underwood’s first road start. While the game is at home this year, the Sooners’ trip to Ann Arbor in the second week of the year will likely be telling about which way the season is headed.

Oklahoma had the No. 17 transfer portal class in the country this past offseason, per 247Sports, bringing in 16 players from schools like Texas, Florida, Tennessee and even Michigan. Linebacker Cole Sullivan leaving for OU to take a spot in the middle of Brent Venables’ defense was perhaps the biggest portal loss the Wolverines suffered all offseason.

On offense, wide receivers Parker Livingstone (Texas) and Trell Harris (Virginia) and tight end Jack Van Dorselaer (Tennessee) are three more weapons for an Oklahoma offense looking to take the next step.

One reason to believe it will is the return of quarterback John Mateer, who carved Michigan up last season and is the key to another solid Oklahoma team. Mateer threw for 270 yards, ran for 74 and accounted for all three touchdowns in Oklahoma’s win over Michigan before an injury sidelined him for the middle portion of the season and slowed him the rest of the way as he fought through it.

Oklahoma came in at No. 9 on The Athletic’s top-25 rankings after spring ball and is a notably difficult test, particularly so early in the season.

No. 3: Indiana (Oct. 24, kickoff time TBD)

The only reason Indiana is not higher on this list is because Michigan gets the game in Ann Arbor.

Outside of that, this is going to be an absolute battle. The defending national champion Hoosiers lost eight starters to the NFL this past season, including No. 1 overall pick and Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, but have once again reloaded under Curt Cignetti, who has orchestrated the greatest turnaround the sport has ever seen.

In come quarterback Josh Hoover (TCU), running back Turbo Richard (Boston College) and wide receiver Nick Marsh (Michigan State) to restock the offensive supply and pair with wideout Charlie Becker. On defense, the Hoosiers return defensive tackle Tyrique Tucker, linebackers Isaiah Jones and Rolijah Hardy and corner Jamari Sharpe.

Hoover is yet another proven quarterback, coming to Bloomington after four years at TCU and enters as the nation’s leader in career passing yards (9,629). Hoover ran the second most RPO’s of any quarterback last year, behind only Mendoza, so he appears to fit the scheme.

According to CBS Sports, Indiana’s roster is No. 8 in cumulative FBS snaps played (30,540) and No. 4 in FBS level starts (462), so this should be a veteran group playing for a scheme that’s proven to work. An argument could be made this is U-M’s toughest game.

No. 2: at Oregon (Nov. 14, kickoff time TBD)

Michigan makes its first trip to Autzen Stadium as Big Ten foes − the only remaining stadium in the league it has not played as league opponents is UCLA in the Rose Bowl − against an Oregon side that has, per usual, reloaded.

It started with the decision of former five-star quarterback out of Detroit King, Dante Moore, who opted to spurn the NFL where he was expected to be a top-five draft pick, to return for one more year in the NCAA ranks. He will be buoyed by Evan Stewart, one of the top wide receivers in the country, who returns after missing the 2025 season with a torn patellar tendon in his knee.

There are new faces leading both the offense and the defense after last year’s offensive coordinator, Will Stein, took the head coach job at Kentucky and defensive coordinator Tosh Lupoi took over as head coach of California. Dan Lanning opted to keep a semblance of continuity and promote from within for both positions, with Drew Mehringer now leading the attack and Chris Hampton in charge of the defense.

Oregon brought in 13 players through the portal this year including a pair of Big Ten defensive standouts in cornerback Aaron Scott Jr. (Ohio State) and safety Koi Perich (Minnesota).

Oregon made the CFP national semifinal last season before it was routed by Indiana (both of Oregon’s losses last season came to the Hoosiers) and now appears poised to get back to the playoffs at the very least.

This is just about as tough as games come.

No. 1: at Ohio State (Nov. 28, noon, Fox)

As if there was any doubt about who would finish off this list, it is of course the Buckeyes.

Ohio State led the way with 11 selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, which included four first-rounders and three second-rounders, but the NFL factory in Columbus, simply reloads every offseason. OSU returns its starting quarterback, Julian Sayin, running back Bo Jackson and the undisputed top wide receiver in the country, Jeremiah Smith.

They also brought in a number of stars from the portal in running back Ja’Kobi Jackson (Florida), edge Qua Russaw (Alabama) and defensive backs Earl Little Jr. (Florida State) and Dominick Kelly (Georgia), not to mention five-star freshman wide receiver Chris Henry Jr.

OSU landed the No. 2 freshman class in the nation and the No. 7 portal haul in the country as the Buckeyes, who were stunned by Miami in the national semifinal, look to get back to the national championship for the second time in three seasons.

Michigan has won the past two games in Columbus − a 45-23 pummeling in 2022 and then a 13-10 stunner for the ages in 2024 − but have not won three straight games at OSU since doing so from 1986-90 under Bo Schembechler and Gary Moeller.

All eyes, as always, will be on this game and there’s a decent chance (like last season) U-M will be playing for a spot in the CFP with this game deciding its fate.

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.

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Michigan’s state parks deserve better funding and care | Letter

Published

15 hours ago

June 10, 2026

Press Room

Michigan’s state parks deserve better funding and care | Letter

Michigan’s state parks remind us that beauty was and always will be a part of our state. They alone account for one-third of all nature-based recreation. In them, people can connect with the freest parts of themselves while plants and wildlife thrive freely in their natural habitats.

I remember climbing down a hill on the far side of Sleeping Bear Dunes, taking a moment to look out at the water before attempting the famous climb back up. The boats I saw on the water looked more like pirate ships in my memory after climbing through what felt like a desert. The view has remained one of my mind’s strongest memories of nature.

Access to nature comes with responsibility, yet the parks are not being well-maintained. Roads around them are collapsing, and it is not uncommon to find a trail closure or two or even sewage spilling in certain areas.

This doesn’t have to be the case. This July, state leaders have the opportunity to pass a more park-friendly budget that can increase funding for the parks and begin chipping away at the $748 million deferred maintenance backlog. With a little more love, our state parks can serve for generations to come as shining examples of nature’s beauty, just as they did for me.

Zach Hogan

Bloomfield Hills

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Trieu: For Michigan State targets, visits, in-state decisions loom

Published

1 day ago

June 10, 2026

Press Room

Trieu: For Michigan State targets, visits, in-state decisions loom

Allen Trieu
| Special to The Detroit News

Two more weekends remain for colleges to host recruits for official visits.

Michigan State had bigger groups on campus for the first two weekends, so this week’s list is not as large in quantity.

Roswell (Georgia) Blessed Trinity Catholic defensive back Noah Willis will be making his first trip to East Lansing. Willis was only offered by the Spartans in mid-May, but they quickly found a home on his official visit schedule.

The 6-foot, 170-pound Willis can play outside corner or slot corner. Kansas State and Cincinnati already have hosted him, and he has BYU scheduled for the weekend of June 19.

Logansport (Indiana) offensive tackle RJ Clem also will be on campus for the first time. Spartans offensive line coach Nick Tabacca offered in May.

A 6-foot-7, 265-pound prospect, Clem is also a state qualifier in discus and plays basketball. Wake Forest will get an official next weekend. Kansas State and Iowa State also have offered.

Michigan State commit Grant Adloff, a three-star offensive lineman from East Grand Rapids, also will be on campus for his official.

In-state targets nearing decisions

The name to watch for Spartan fans this week is Detroit King’s Don Spillers. A two-way athlete, Michigan State is recruiting the 6-foot-2, 190-pound Spillers as a safety while Illinois, his other finalist, is recruiting him as a wide receiver.

Spillers is expected to make a decision by this weekend. Michigan State has led his Rivals predictions for much of his recruitment, but last weekend’s official visit with Illinois have made the Illini a very real threat to those predictions.

Spillers’ teammate, offensive lineman Jameer Henry, also is believed to be nearing a decision. Henry (6-5, 300 pounds) also is considering Illinois. Missouri was considered the primary competition, but the Tigers have faded in the race.

First summer camp brings talent from all classes

Michigan State hosted their first one-day camp of the summer on June 9.

No offers were extended at the camp, but there were many potential future offers within the group.

Toledo Central Catholic’s David Yharbrough and Troy Yharbrough were two of the standouts. David Yharbrough is a rising junior receiver while Troy Yharbrough is only an incoming freshman, but already looks like a national recruit with several programs offering already.

In-state cornerbacks Jacob Patton and Wendell Childs impressed. Patton (Detroit Country Day) is a 2028 recruit with an offer from Wisconsin. Childs (Clarkston) is a 2027 with track speed. The Spartans are down the road in their 2027 recruiting, but Childs made a play to be considered.

The NFL Academy, a boarding school in the United Kingdom brought several of their top prospects as part of their stateside college tour. That included 6-foot-8, 310-pound offensive tackle Adam Ibironke, a class of 2028 recruit.

Tabor (Massachusetts) Academy wide receiver Xander Odenyo, a multi-offer prospect also stood out in one-on-one work.

Grand Rapids Catholic Central quarterback Odin Spencer, along with wide receivers Grayson Tidd and Jace Cummings, were also among the camp’s top performers.

Spartan defensive line commit Jack Schuler also took part in the camp.

Allen Trieu covers Midwest football recruiting for On3. He has been featured on the Big Ten Network on its annual Signing Day Show. His Michigan and Michigan State recruiting columns appear weekly at detroitnews.com.

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