Michigan basketball got more good news on Thursday, as Tennessee transfer J.P. Estrella, one of the the players fans were most concerned about leaving, is reportedly staying with the Wolverines.
Estrella who played 18 minutes a game last season for Tennessee, the team Michigan knocked out in the Elite 8, has decided to play for the Wolverines in 2026-27, according to a report from ESPN's Pete Thamel.
NEWS: Michigan transfer big-man J.P. Estrella is going to remain with the Wolverines, he told ESPN, as he quickly bonded with interim coach Mike Boynton and his teammates after arriving on campus nearly two weeks ago. pic.twitter.com/TTrdjLJB6R
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) July 2, 2026
For Michigan interim head coach Mike Boynton, this is another huge retention, after keeping the likes of Elliot Cadeau, Trey McKenney and Moustapha Thiam. The only other projected starter who hasn't publicly announced a return or had it reported is five-star signee Brandon McCoy.
That's another huge domino for Boynton. He will be an elite defender, and will provide someone can play multiple spots, whether it's the one, two, or three. Michigan needs that. However, the frontcourt seems set, especially if Boynton can secure the services of Jalen Reed and Quinn Costello.
J.P. Estrella's return makes Michigan basketball a Big Ten title contender
College basketball insider Jon Rothstein keeps ranking the Wolverines in his top five for next season. That was even before Estrella's return was reported.
Getting Thiam back was huge. But everyone knows you need more than one good big if you are going to win anything in college basketball nowadays.
The Wolverines proved that last season. Arizona was a similar team. Now, the Wolverines have two really good bigs. Fans have underrated the addition of Estrella. He's 6-foot-11, and made 60 percent of his 2-point attempts, averaging 10.5 points and 5.4 rebounds in 18 minutes. Yes, just 18 minutes.
Imagine what he can do playing 25-30? Estrella averaged 0.4 blocks per game, so like Morez Johnson, he's not necessarily an elite shot blocker, but 6-foot-11 is 6-foot-11. Estrella is also dominant on the offensive glass, pulling down 2.8 offensive rebounds per game.
That means more than 50 percent of his rebounds came on the offensive end. He's an elite low-post scorer who is a solid two-way player.
Michigan basketball still needs to retain McCoy. He's ranked 13th overall in the 2026 class, so it wouldn't be surprising if other programs were targeting him, or fellow McDonald's All-American Quinn Costello.
Other veterans like L.J. Cason and Oscar Goodman haven't announced their status either. Cason is rehabbing his season-ending injury. Jalen Reed, the LSU big man, who could be ideal as the third big man off the bench, also hasn't announced anything about next season.
Keep McCoy, and the roster will essentially be the same one Dusty May was going to coach. Now, we'll have to see what Boynton can do with it.
That will determine whether or not he's the next full-time Michigan basketball coach. It looks like Boynton will have a top-five or top-10 roster, so the expectations, even with a new head coach, should be fairly high.
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