Game-changing freshmen are hard to find, but Michigan basketball landed one when five-star guard Brandon McCoy Jr. committed during the Final Four.
McCoy is sticking with the Wolverines despite the coaching change from Dusty May to Mike Boynton Jr., ESPN reported Saturday night.
The news comes two weeks after May decided to take the leap to the NBA on June 22, signing on as Dallas Mavericks head coach.
Brandon McCoy Jr. lays the ball up during the McDonald’s All-American boys high school basketball game featuring the top seniors in the country at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona, on March 31, 2026.
McCoy is ranked the No. 2 shooting guard in the country, the No. 3 player in California and No. 10 overall player in the class, according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings, and was a McDonald’s All-American.
He leads Michigan’s deep six-man 2026 recruiting class, rated No. 4 in 247 Sports’ composite rankings behind Arkansas, Duke and Kansas.
McCoy led Sierra Canyon to a 30-1 season in 2025-26 and capped it off with a California Division I state title in March. McCoy is seen as a versatile backcourt piece who figures to primarily play off the ball, but he has enough ball-handling skills to serve as a backup point guard when needed. At 6-foot-5 and 190 pounds with nearly a 6-10 wingspan, McCoy has exceptional length for a guard.
SWEET STROKE: Quinn Costello ‘reinvented himself’ as future of Michigan basketball
St. John Bosco’s Brandon McCoy Jr. dunks against Mater Dei in the first half at Intuit Dome on Feb. 1, 2025 in Inglewood, California.
Pair that with a high motor and quick feet, he’s not only an elite offensive player but seen as a defensive prospect beyond his years, as he averaged 1.6 steals and 1.2 blocks per game in the EYBL last summer. He could be the McKenney of this season, a piece that’s not relied on play-in and play-out but always available to change the game.
Boynton, the Wolverines interim coach for the 2026-27 season, has done well to retain the roster. Starting guard Trey McKenney announced he expected to stay hours after the coaching change, as have returning point guard Elliot Cadeau, incoming transfers Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati) and JP Estrella (Tennessee) and more role players.
Free Press sports writer Tony Garcia contributed to this report.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 5-star Brandon McCoy sticking with Michigan basketball: Report
Read the full article here