4 Things I Want to Learn About Michigan Basketball in Exhibition vs. Eastern Michigan

College basketball has arrived — kind of. Michigan basketball will take the court later on Sunday for a 2 p.m. ET tip. The Wolverines will play three exhibition games before they begin the 2026-27 season, and Michigan's first exhibition will come against Eastern Michigan.

The Wolverines are expected to have a full complement of players on Sunday, other than Marcus Moller and Brandon McCoy Jr. — who is out for the season.

Here are four things I want to learn about this new-look Wolverines' squad.

How Jalen Reed looks coming off two injuries

LSU Tigers forward Jalen Reed (13) lays the ball up over Mississippi State Bulldogs — USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Jalen Reed didn't play in any of Michigan's three overseas games this Summer. The LSU transfer is coming off two injuries in the last two seasons, and he's played a total of 14 games. Reed is an athletic big man, and could play the '3' to a small '5' on the court.

He appeared to be headed toward a big season in 2025-26, averaging 9.5 points and 5.7 rebounds coming off the bench until the second injury occurred. And without seeing Reed overseas, he's a bit of an unknown, but Mike Boynton Jr. is excited to see what he can do.

"But I do think that Jalen Reed is a little bit of an unknown in this equation," Boynton Jr. said during Big Ten Media Days. "I think he’s going to be better than people think, just ’cause he hasn’t played, but we’ve seen him practice. He’s pretty good. So he may surprise people in terms of what he’s able to do coming off of an injury."

Reed will be on a minutes restriction, but without a bunch of frontcourt depth, Reed should play a big role for Michigan this season.

Does Ricky Liburd have breakout season vibes

Michigan Wolverines guard Ricky Liburd (0) shoots a layup during a practice session — IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ricky Liburd was an addition to last year's recruiting class, but he didn't see any minutes, due to taking a redshirt season. But anyone you ask, Liburd is in store for a breakout season. L.J. Cason, who opted to leave to transfer to Miami, told Tim McCormick in an interview, that his picks for a breakout season was both Liburd and Oscar Goodman.

Liburd didn't play overseas due to a small hip injury, but he's back and good to go. Liburd has been described as a prototypical 3-and-D player, and that's never a bad thing. He will do the small things on the court to help his team win.

If Liburd is going to play a big role this seaosn, we want to see how he plays and looks.

Moustapha Thiam in a bigger sample size

Cincinnati Bearcats center Moustapha Thiam (52) makes a basket from three point range — USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

After losing their three-headed monster to the 2026 NBA Draft, Michigan needed to add some big men to the team. The biggest addition was Cincinnati transfer Moustapha Thiam, who will be the Wolverines' primary center. He led the Big 12 in blocks two seasons ago, and isn't afraid to step back and hit the three.

We saw a limited sample of Thiam during Michigan's foreign tour. He exited game one playing less than six minutes, after suffering an apparent injury. The Wolverines' offense was rolling with Thiam on the court, and in the final two games, rebounding was an issue.

But with Thiam back, and Jalen Reed, rebounding shouldn't be as big of an issue. Let's see how Thiam runs with the Wolverines' starting lineup and how big of a threat he is in the paint.

Roddy Gayle Jr. and Kenny Noland

Columbia Lions guard Kenny Noland (2) is guarded by Rutgers Scarlet Knights guard Jamichael Davis — USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Since coming back from its foreign tour, Michigan added two more players to its roster. Both Kenny Noland and Roddy Gayle Jr. are currently eligible after winning cases against the NCAA to have a fifth year of eligibility.

Obviously, neither player played with Michigan during its foreign tour, but both players are expected to play on Sunday. More than likely, Gayle Jr. will start at the wing for the Wolverines this season, while Noland is Michigan's primary backup point guard.

Fans know all about Gayle Jr., as he has played with the team for the last two seasons, but Noland is new and it will be interesting to see how they both gel with the new team.

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