Critical Michigan basketball roles could be filled by unsung returners

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Goodman is strong enough to play the four but athletic enough to play the wing, a position he may need to fill more than initially expected without many natural 3s on the roster.

U-M can go a few ways, with someone like McKenney running the wing in a small ball lineup or someone like Goodman manning the spot in a larger lineup, and if his early years are any indication, May will likely try both options.

"He's not a one-trick pony kind of guy," Boynton said of Goodman.

Meanwhile, Liburd, who redshirted in 2025-26 after coming in as an unheralded three-star out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, impressed coaches behind the scenes and appears poised to crack the rotation next season.

The 6-foot-4 wing came up frequently last season as a standout on the scout team and, after putting in time behind the scenes, could be a real piece to U-M's new puzzle.

"He's flown under the radar as much as anybody because he was new to our program and didn't play at all," Boynton said. "He's a guy who's got the ability to both defend one-through-four from his size, quickness, strength, physicality and he can also play offensively in any of our perimeter spots, as well.

"He can be a floor-spacer, he can be a shot-creator, he's a guy who's really good on the move as a cutter and offensive rebounder. I think both of those guys are names people should just right now pencil in and keep their eyes on early in the year to see how they progress."

Boynton said the hope is that Michigan can get those guys "a lot of reps" on the team's foreign trip this summer (which hasn't been officially reported but appears almost a certainty to happen sometime in late August) to find out how they fit with the new pieces and see the leap they've taken from one year to the next.

Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23), center right, and forward Oscar Goodman (5) warm up before open practice at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Friday, April 3, 2026.

Boynton isn't the only one with high hopes for this team. Assistant coach and general manager Kyle Church recently joined Brian Boesch on "Defend The Block" and lauded where the Wolverines stand with their roster largely complete. He spoke of the importance of players who help keep the culture going from one year to the next, which Goodman and Liburd both intend to do.

"I think we have a very, very competitive roster. I think a potential top-five, top-10 type roster," Church said. "No matter who joins us or doesn’t join us, we’re really excited about the position we’re in.

"To have some guys that [joined] more with the future in mind and keep that continuity is going to be so important."

Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 2 Michigan basketball returnees who are 'flying under the radar'