It hasn't even been a week since Dusty May was hired away from the Michigan basketball program by the Dallas Mavericks.
For the Wolverines, it's a whole new world. Not only does next season have a different feel, the landscape of the program has a different feel after May's exit to the NBA.
We can debate the reasons for his departure or if Michigan could have done anything to stop it. Frankly, I'm not sure Dusty May signing the contract extension Warde Manuel offered him would have made much of a difference. May always felt like he was going to go to the NBA, eventually.
The Mavericks have won an NBA championship. They also have Cooper Flagg. That's one thing John Beilein never had -- a superstar to build around.
The point being, the past is the past, even when it comes to Dusty May. Michigan basketball is moving forward with Mike Boynton, presumably as the head coach for the 2026-27 season. No timeline has been given for the interim tag.
Regardless, Boynton has gotten to work, retaining the two most important pieces on the roster—Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney. If the Wolverines lose either of those guys, it could have led to a mass exodus, especially if Michigan lost its starting point guard.
But Cadeau is back, and so is McKenney, a player some feel, myself included, could contend for Big Ten Player of the Year next season. Therefore, Boynton is off to a strong start, but here are three important items he needs to cross off his checklist if he's going to have success.
Keep the bigs in the fold
This starts with Moustapha Thiam. He's the crown jewel of Michigan's transfer portal class. The 7-foot-2 center felt like the next lottery pick under Dusty May, which was probably one of the reasons that Thiam committed to Michigan after seeing what Dusty did with Yaxel, Aday Mara, Morez Johnson, Danny Wolf, and Vlad Goldin.
Thiam has a lot of untapped potential, but he was dominant down the stretch last season, shooting 35 percent from 3-point range in his last nine games (10-of-28). He averaged 17.9 points per game during that stretch, to go along with 10 rebounds per game and 1.7 blocks per game.
After scoring more than 20 points just once in the first 24 games last season, Thiam had three consecutive games with over 20 points. He also recorded double-doubles in five of his last nine games.
May signed a guy with top-10 NBA draft potential. Boynton has to convince Thiam that Ann Arbor is still the place to realize that potential, although Cadeau's return will help a ton.
J.P. Estrella, the Tennessee transfer, is essential, too. Michgan needs his low-post scoring, rebounding ability, and his toughness to survive in the Big Ten. Jalen Reed will have a critical role to play, too.
It's not going to be easy, and Thiam is by far the most important, but Boynton needs to secure the three transfer big men, or Michigan basketball is in trouble.
Keep Akeem Miskdeen
One of the biggest challenges Boynton faces is building a staff. It's hard to see Dusty May not taking at least a couple of assistants to the Mavericks, so Boynton will need to get to work.
The first step is to keep at least one Michigan basketball assistant on staff, and that's Akeem Miskdeen. He joined Dusty's staff from Georgia. He also coached at Florida and Florida Atlantic.
Miskdeen is one of the reasons the Wolverines were able to land Jalen Reed. He also has a strong relationship with Cadeau and others, so keeping him will help keep the roster intact. Cadeau's return might be viewed as a hint about Miskdeen's possible return, which would be huge.
Hold onto key freshman
May signed the No. 2 recruiting class in 2026 before heading out the door, a class that includes five-star guard Brandon McCoy and McDonald's All-American Quinn Costello.
Those two are essential pieces. Each has a chance to contribute right away. McCoy is one of the best defensive guards in the 2026 class, maybe the best. He will make an immediate impact, and could start at the three to open the season. He's 6-foot-5 and is a three-level scorer.
Costello is a 6-foot-10 stretch four. He's one of the best pure shooters in the 2026 class. There hasn't been any buzz about departures. There have been some positive rumors circulating on the message boards, but having each re-commit to Boynton would be huge, not only for the 2026-2027 season, but beyond.
Doing everything on this list is a tall order, especially retaining all three big men; however, if the Wolverines are going to have any shot of reaching their potential next season or keeping this championship window open, those three things need to happen.
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