Michigan
Michigan basketball vs. Wake Forest: 3 things to watch on Wolverines’ first road trip
After taking care of business in two exhibition games and the season opener, Michigan basketball is ready for a road test against a power conference opponent.
Michigan is 1-0 under new head coach Dusty May after obliterating Cleveland State by 48 points in the opener on Monday. The Wolverines will have had almost a full week off before facing Wake Forest on Sunday afternoon.
The game will be played at a technically neutral site — First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina — albeit one just over 30 miles west of Wake Forest’s campus. That should give Michigan a pseudo-road environment, with most fans cheering against the Wolverines. (Next year, U-M gets its payback: a neutral-site game vs. Wake Forest at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.)
Here are three factors to watch on Sunday afternoon when the Wolverines and Demon Deacons tip off at 1 p.m. (ESPN2).
A tournament-level test
Wake Forest enters the game at 2-0 with wins over Coppin State (by 15 points) and North Carolina A&T (by 16 points) at home. The Demon Deacons were ranked third in the preseason ACC poll, behind just Duke and North Carolina, and received one vote for first place.
“I’m really excited,” said Michigan wing Sam Walters, a transfer from Alabama. “They got some really good players. My former teammate (Davin Cosby) plays for them as well, so I’m really excited to play against guys I know and a really good team. I think it’s going to be a good test for us, especially early in the season to play a good team in their home state.”
The Demon Deacons are led by senior guard Hunter Sallis, a preseason All-ACC first-team selection after he averaged 18 points as a junior last year. Sallis, who played two seasons at Gonzaga before transferring across the country, is a big-bodied guard who thrives attacking downhill while shooting 39.2% from 3-point range for his career.
“His athleticism, his size and then his ability to get into the pain, stop, shot fake and then obviously make,” Michigan assistant coach and general manager Kyle Church said. “Combine that with the ability to make 3s. I think he’s becoming a better playmaker for others as well. He’ll be one of the better guards we play all year.”
Hitting the road
This is Michigan’s first regular-season game outside of Crisler Center this season, though the Wolverines won an exhibition game against Oakland last month at LCA in Detroit. Michigan scheduled the neutral-site game to help provide a boost to its NET rankings and get a taste of playing at an NCAA tournament venue — Greensboro hosted first- and second-round men’s games in the 2023 tournament, though it’s not on the schedule for the next three men’s tournaments.
“It’s still a different feel,” Church said. “It’s not like being on campus and having the students, so it’s something we want to work in for those reasons.”
Michigan still expects a large Wake Forest presence cheering against them. It will help prepare them for the Big Ten teams they will face on the road, starting with a visit to Wisconsin in early December.
“I think it will be a great atmosphere,” said Will Tschetter, one of U-M’s few returning players. “It’ll be great for our team to have our first road game played in front of an opposing crowd. Looking forward to it.”
Focus on cleaning up rebounding and limiting turnovers
Even though Michigan hasn’t had to face much adversity through the exhibitions and opener, they still want to see improvements in a few key areas of the floor, namely in keeping possession and not surrendering second-chance opportunities. Monday against Cleveland State, the Wolverines had 16 turnovers and were just plus-one in rebounding because of the Vikings’ 20 offensive rebounds.
“Obviously, the glaring weakness would be the defensive rebounding,” Church said. “That’s something that’s been addressed heavily this week.”
The team didn’t break out any new rebounding drills, Walters said.
“I wouldn’t say we did anything specifically, but there was a big emphasis when we are playing like in our drills and our live stuff to make sure we are boxing out, finding our guy,” Walters said. “And even in our film breakdowns, that was a main point of focus.”
The other main area of focus is limiting giveaways. Michigan’s 16 turnovers only led to eight Cleveland State points, but it limited the amount of shots Michigan could take.
“It is a possessions game,” Tschetter said. “Being able to have as many possessions as possible is critical. So that’s kind of our main focus right now in our area of improvement.”
Next up: Demon Deacons
Matchup: Michigan (1-0) vs. Wake Forest (2-0), Deacon-Wolverine Challenge.
Tipoff: 1 p.m. Sunday; First Horizon Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina.
TV/radio: ESPN2; WWJ-AM (950).
Jared Ramsey is a sports reporter for the Detroit Free Press. Follow Jared on X @jared_ramsey22, and email him at jramsey@freepress.com.
Michigan
Michigan heatwave on way. See day likely to set a record high
Tourists bemused as Louvre closes early due to heat
France’s heat closed the Louvre in Paris early on June 24, 2026.
Reuters
Get ready to sweat, Michigan.
The summer’s first big heatwave is expected to start on Monday, bringing a four-day stretch of potential 90-plus-degree temperatures to much of the state, across the Midwest and parts of the East Coast.
The National Weather Service is advising Michiganians to limit time outdoors and stay hydrated in the leadup to Independence Day.
The heatwave is projected to peak on Tuesday, the final day of June, when virtually the entirety of Lower Michigan and surrounding states will be considered at major risk of heat-related effects, according to NWS.
Anyone without access to cooling or hydration or who must engage in prolonged outdoor activity or strenuous labor will face a significantly elevated risk of heat-related illness, including heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
The NWS office in Marquette said above-normal humidity is expected to accompany the high temperatures, elevating the risk.
About 16 people a year die from heat and heat-related illnesses in Michigan, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Relief will be minimal, experts advised. Thunderstorms are unlikely during the heatwave, AccuWeather reported, and overnight lows are expected to drop only into the mid-70s, according to NWS.
‘Heat dome’ bringing near-record temperatures
AccuWeather attributes the warmup to a “heat dome,” which is a high-pressure system that traps hot air and prevents cooling. The weather system will bring above-normal temperatures throughout the central and eastern states. St. Louis could log eight straight days of at least 90 degrees.
Lower Michigan is expected to see this summer’s first consecutive 90-plus-degree days. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are all currently expected to climb past that mark.
Currently, the hottest day on record this year in Detroit was May 18, when the mercury climbed to 90 degrees, according to NWS data.
High temperatures are likely to approach daily records during next week’s heatwave. Detroit’s record highs for June 29 through July 2 are 96, 96, 98 and 99, respectively. The weather service currently projects highs of 91, 97 and 95 for Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. A high for Thursday is not yet available.
On average, temperatures during this time of year top out around 81 or 82, NWS data shows.
The high temperatures approach the United States as Western Europe swelters under a record-setting heatwave that is expected to persist through the end of the week. On Wednesday, Britain and France both logged the hottest June days on record, Reuters reported.
mreinhart@detroitnews.com
Michigan
Body of 13-year-old boy who went missing in Lake Michigan waters recovered by Indiana officials
The body of a 13-year-old boy who went into Lake Michigan waters at a northwest Indiana beach and didn’t resurface has been recovered, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
The recovery was confirmed to NBC Chicago Wednesday morning. It comes two days after officials say the boy went swimming at Washington Beach in Michigan City with a group of friends.
No further details on the boy’s identity have been released.
Searches for the boy were suspended Monday night and Tuesday due to “challenging water conditions” and high waves. All day Monday, Lake Michigan beaches in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Michigan were under a high swim risk with a beach hazards statement from the National Weather Service in effect.
The statement warned of dangerous waves as high as five feet, and “life threatening currents.”
The incident unfolded about 5:43 p.m. Monday at Washington Park Beach, with Michigan City police responding to the beach for a possible drowning. Witnesses say they saw a child wearing red shorts enter the water on the east side of the catwalk just south of the lighthouse and then disappear beneath the surface.
Dangerous water conditions “significantly complicated search efforts,” Michigan City police said. About 10:44 p.m., police posted an update saying dive operations had been suspended “due to hazardous conditions that posed a risk to responder safety.”
According to the update, three of the four MCFD divers sustained minor injuries during the search and were transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation. A DNR diver was also injured, police said, and was evaluated on scene.
“Strong currents, changing wave action, and limited visibility beneath the water can quickly overwhelm even experienced swimmers and rescuers,” police said. “We urge everyone to pay close attention to beach conditions, heed all posted warnings, and stay out of the water when hazardous conditions are present.”
According to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, there have been 23 Great Lakes drownings to date in 2026. 12 of those, the site showed, have been in Lake Michigan.
Michigan
Michigan basketball champ Yaxel Lendeborg joins Warriors, gets chance to learn from Curry, Draymond Green
NEW YORK – Michigan Wolverines national champion Yaxel Lendeborg grew up rooting against Stephen Curry and Draymond Green; now he’ll be learning from them.
The Golden State Warriors selected him with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft on Tuesday night, adding a versatile, defense-first playmaker from a national championship team to a franchise built on championship standards.
“It’s a full-circle moment for me,” Lendeborg said after being drafted.“I’ve been saying this every time I get asked this question, but in 2016, I’m a big Kyrie guy, so I used to hate Steph Curry. So now that I’m actually gonna be on the same team with him, play and actually learn so much from him, it means a lot.”
Lendeborg said Curry’s reputation extends beyond the court.
“I met him a couple of times. He’s a very great guy, genuine person, and it’s gonna be an honor to be able to watch him do what he does in person,” Lendeborg said.
Lendeborg is coming off a breakout season at Michigan, where he helped former coach Dusty May’s Wolverines win a national championship.
He became one of college basketball’s top defenders, earning a spot on the Big Ten All-Defensive Team while developing into a versatile forward who could impact the game on both ends.
“I feel like what will translate quickly for me would be just my defense, my versatility,” Lendeborg said. “Just the IQ of the game, making the right reads, making the play at the right time.”
In Golden State, Lendeborg will also have a chance to learn from veteran Draymond Green, the longtime Warriors leader and Michigan State Spartans legend, known for defense, playmaking, and voice in the locker room.
One immediate adjustment will be a new jersey number.
Lendeborg wore No. 23 at Michigan, but Green wears it for the Warriors.
Lendeborg joked that his backup choice, No. 3, is also unavailable.
“I think now that I’m stepping into the NBA, I’m going to step in with another number and start a new legacy,” Lendeborg said.
He also carried his Michigan rivalry energy with him on draft night. Asked if he would wear Michigan State gear to convince Green to give up No. 23, Lendeborg quickly said no.
“Nah, I’m not doing that, man,” Lendeborg said. “I hate those guys. I only been there for one year, but I definitely hate those guys.”
Lendeborg pointed to Michigan’s success against the Spartans during its title run.
“They can’t really say much because I went 2-0 against them this year,” Lendeborg said. “They’re gonna be little brother for me forever.”
Lendeborg also said his decision to return to college for another season helped him develop before making the jump to the NBA.
“When I was getting recruited by Dusty, he said he was going to make me a lottery pick,” Lendeborg said. “Evidently, he made me a lottery pick.”
“I went back because I didn’t feel like I was ready yet,” Lendeborg added. “I wanted to become a better person, better player. I wanted to develop pro habits.”
Michigan’s championship group shared draft night moments as several Wolverines were selected in the first round.
Lendeborg said the players stayed connected throughout the process.
“We were all super excited, super nervous,” Lendeborg said. “We were just talking about who we think is going to go first, who’s going where.”
He also joked that Dusty May would leave Michigan for the Dallas Mavericks after the title, then select teammate Morez Johnson Jr. No. 9 overall.
“I’m definitely mad at Dusty right now because we know who his favorite is now,” Lendeborg said.
Despite the banter, he said he was happy for his former teammate.
“I’m super happy for Morez. He definitely deserves it, and he’s going to be a great pro for sure,” he said.
Now Lendeborg heads to Golden State with the confidence of a champion and the chance to learn from champions.
“I’m super excited,” Lendeborg said. “I’m excited to be there and play
Copyright 2026 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit – All rights reserved.
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