Michigan basketball ranked inside the top-5 for 2025-26 season by CBB analyst

After winning eight games in 2023-24 under Juwan Howard, Dusty May was hired and did as good of a job as any Michigan basketball fan could have hoped. May led the Wolverines to the Sweet 16 and Michigan won the Big Ten Tournament under his leadership. May brought in savvy veterans with a small dose of freshmen input -- hello, LJ Cason. The Wolverines gelled well in the first year under May, but Michigan is going to look different in Year 2 of May.

Michigan is certainly losing center Vlad Goldin and forward Rubin Jones, and the Wolverines are also likely losing forward Danny Wolf to the NBA Draft. The maize and blue also lost starting point guard Tre Donaldson to the portal, along with Sam Waters and others.

Even with the losses, Michigan has recruited at a high level, and once again, May is filling needs via the portal. Although the Wolverines haven't fillled their roster yet, CBS Sports' analyst Jon Rothstein released his early top-45 for next season, and he has Michigan at No. 4 in his too-early-predictions.

Michigan added the top-transfer in the portal after UAB's big man Yaxel Lendeborg committed to May. But Lendeborg is a potential first-round draft pick and is going through the draft process before making an ultimate decision. Michigan also added ball-handler Elliot Cadeau from North Carolina, and Illinois big man Morez Johnson.

Rothstein's early projection has Michigan's lineup looking like:

G: Elliot Cadeau
G: Roddy Gayle Jr.
G: LJ Cason
F: Yaxel Lendeborg
C: Morez Johnson

If Nimari Burnett comes back, May expects him too, the Wolverines would have a deep bench that consists of Will Tschetter, Trey McKenney, Oscar Goodman, and Winters Grady.