Michigan basketball should be ‘preseason top 25’ according to college hoops expert

Dusty May has gotten Michigan basketball fans excited again about the future of the program. Heck, even next season.

It’s amazing how quickly things can change. Head coaches matter a lot and Michigan basketball found the right guy in Dusty May. Many have said he’s the next John Beilein.

I’m not ready to go that far. Beilein was special. But so is May. He loves the game of basketball. When he talks about it, you can feel his passion emanating.

Jim Harbaugh talked about wanting players who loved football. May probably feels the same way about basketball.  At any rate, he built an impressive team for the 2024-25 season in a short period of time. Former American All-Conference center Vlad Goldin, one of the top players in the portal, followed May to Michigan basketball.

Danny Wolf, Rubin Jones, Roddy Gayle, Sam Walters, and Trey Donaldson were all key additions. May has put together a roster of talented scorers, playmakers, bigs, and 3-point shooters. It’s a team that should be able to contend for a top-four spot in the Big Ten and a berth in the NCAA tournament.

Michigan basketball should be ranked according to one expert

That’s the floor for this team and Matt Norlander, a college hoops expert for CBS Sports, agrees. He joined Brian Boesch for an episode of “Defend The Block” and said he believes Michigan basketball should be ranked in the preseason top 25.

It was awesome to have @MattNorlander on Defend the Block today…he shared a ton of insight on Dusty May, @umichbball's new-look roster, and much more.

Apple: https://t.co/bSA2d936bZ
Spotify: https://t.co/Q2EfUpHing pic.twitter.com/IyaULLEB0O

— Brian Boesch (@BrianBoesch) May 28, 2024

“There is a lot of upside,” Norlander said. “I believe that Michigan should be a preseason top-25 team. I look at the landscape and how rosters are being built and it’s a big mystery with a lot of these teams. But with Michigan, I like the talent and I like the different styles of players they have.”

In addition to all the offensive talent, May landed some solid defensive players too. Goldin is a rim protector. Jones, Gayle, and Donaldson all defend well. Defending some fours will be a challenge, but May also hired Mike Boynton who was responsible for four top-50 defenses at Oklahoma State.

There’s a lot to like about this team. Frankly, anything short of the NCAA tournament might feel like a disappointment, only because May has said this is a team that can win now, and looking at it, you believe him.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Also, be sure to check out our shop and our podcast, which is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all other streaming platforms.