Michigan basketball will take the court this season and try to defend its National Championship with an entirely new front court and head coach, but a big injury to five-star freshman Brandon McCoy just made that a lot harder.
The Wolverines have been busy in Europe playing in their 2026 Summer Tour, taking on numerous teams as they gear up for the 2026-2027 season. While some guys have been banged up, like Moustapha Thiam and Trey McKinney, the injury to McCoy is going to have a bigger effect on Michigan than any other.
In Michigan's third exhibition during the Summer Tour against Serbian Club Mega Superbet, McCoy went down just 20 seconds into the game, appearing to have slipped while going up for a layup on a fast break. McCoy stayed down for an extended period of time and then had to be carried off the court by the medical staff.
While the specifics of the injury have not been released, ESPN's Pete Thamel reported that McCoy is expected to miss the entire 2026-2027 college basketball season with "an ACL injury."
NEWS: Michigan star freshman Brandon McCoy will miss the season with "an ACL injury," the school announced today. The injury occurred in an exhibition game in Croatia last week. He was a Top 20 ranked player in ESPN's rankings and projected to have a huge impact at Michigan this… pic.twitter.com/Q8HmKgeqbA
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) September 1, 2026
Brandon McCoy's injury is a big hit on Michigan's National Championship defense
This is a big hit for Michigan, because an ACL injury has me believing that he tore it, making his return a long one. When looking at the video of the injury, it seemed hard not to think it was going to be some sort of ACL or MCL injury, which is so hard to think about, especially for a talented freshman like McCoy.
McCoy was expected to be a big part of Michigan's team heading into next season, coming in as the only five-star recruit in the 2026 recruiting class. The talented point guard was projected to be a starter for the Wolverines.
McCoy is listed as a point guard, but with Elliot Cadeau's return, he holds a firm grasp on that position. However, at 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds, McCoy was seen as the Yaxel Lendeborg replacement Michigan needed, especially offensively, as a big point scorer against some tough Big Ten opponents.
Now, new head coach Mike Boynton will have to completely reshuffle his lineup with the injury to McCoy. Luckily, Michigan picked up Columbia transfer Kenny Noland, which adds to the depth that the Wolverines will now need. Noland comes to the Wolverines after averaging 17.1 points per game, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.7 assists last season.
Other freshmen in McCoy's class will probably be called upon as well, especially guards Lincoln Cosby and Joseph Hartman.
This is a huge loss for Michigan, especially going into a year with a lot of new pieces and coaching changes. Now the Wolverines have to worry about filling McCoy's role and trying to defend their title from last season.
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