Michigan is coming off a National Championship, but this team looks nothing like the one that brought the trophy home ot Ann Arbor. A new head coach, a season-ending injury, and nearly an entirely new squad could be the reason the Wolverines are coming into the AP preseason poll in the Top 15.
With the 2026-2027 basketball season just weeks away and exhibitions kicking off, it is time to see where the teams will be ranked heading into the season. The AP Poll released its preseason rankings, giving the Wolverines some love despite everything, ranking them at No. 16, the third-highest-ranked Big Ten team.
2026 College Basketball Preseason AP Poll 🚨 pic.twitter.com/xnXoqyDBgF
— 247Sports (@247Sports) October 19, 2026
This may seem like a serious drop for the Wolverines, especially after winning the Natty back in April, but considering everything this team has been through the last six months, this is a win for Michigan.
Michigan preseason ranking feels more like an eye test than a real evaluation
Let's take a look at the last six months for Michigan basketball. The Wolverines won the National Championship back in April, the first one since 1989 for Michigan. Then the entire frontcourt for the Wolverines decides to declare for the NBA Draft, but luckily Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKinney choose to stick around.
Dusty May kills it in the transfer portal with some great additions, along with the knowledge that five-star Brandon McCoy is coming to Ann Arbor this season. Then, the day before the NBA Draft, news breaks that May is leaving Michigan to take the head coach position with the Dallas Mavericks, leaving the Wolverines scrambling.
Now it is a battle to keep guys in the building as the transfer window opens due to the coaching change. Assistant coach Mike Boynton is named the interim head coach, but then, a few short weeks later is given a two-year deal to be Michigan's full-time head coach. Boynton was able to keep all but one player on the roster that May built.
We aren't done yet, because Michigan suffered a huge loss with the season-ending injury to McCoy in one of the Wolverines' European scrimmages. McCoy ended up tearing his ACL just 20 seconds into the game, which was a huge hit to Boynton's squad that was expecting him to be a starter.
Finally, we make it to now: the Wolverines are ranked No. 16 in the preseason poll after winning their first two exhibition games against Eastern Michigan and Oregon State.
So, is Michigan's ranking truly based on how they look on the court heading into the season, or the eye test of the last six months? The Wolverines will begin their title defense on November 2 when they open the season against Oakland, but as of right now, they will face six teams ranked in the preseason poll.
Should the Wolverines be ranked higher? That can only be answered once the regular season starts and they prove it on the court.
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