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Michigan basketball’s team under Dusty May has consistently featured international players, but now the entire roster is headed overseas.
The Wolverines will go to Lithuania and Croatia for nine days from Aug. 21-29, where Dusty May’s group is scheduled to play three exhibition games and take part in cultural and team-building activities across both countries.
"Any time you can get a group together in the summer and actually play games, it's huge," May said in a statement. "This trip gives us the chance to compete, learn, and spend time together before starting the fall semester. On top of that, they'll get to experience basketball in a different part of the world, which is pretty special.”
This is the program's fifth foreign tour, following trips to Belgium (2010), Italy (2014), Spain (2018) and France/Greece (2022) and will be funded privately by athletic donors. This trip not only gives the team an opportunity to bond, but extra time to prepare, as international trips allow teams an additional 10 preseason practices ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
That should go a long ways, as Michigan has lost Yaxel Lendeborg, Will Tschetter, Nimari Burnett and Roddy Gayle Jr. from last year’s national championship team and the expectation is Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. will stay in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Michigan rebuilt its roster with transfers Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati), J.P. Estrella (Tennessee) and Jalen Reed (LSU), as well as a host of freshmen.
WELCOME BACK: Elliot Cadeau returning to Michigan Wolverines basketball for 2026-27
Five-star Brandon McCoy and McDonald’s All-American Quinn Costello headline the class which also includes Joseph Hartmann, Malachi Brown, Lincoln Cosby and Marcus Moller.
Guards Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney are the key holdovers along with Oscar Goodman, Ricky Liburd and L.J. Cason, who is working his way back from a torn ACL and is expected to sit out the whole 2026-27 season.
There’s a good chance that Michigan, which has one roster spot remaining, will have filled its 15th opening on the team, prior to the trip.
Additional information, including game times and coverage details, will be announced as it becomes available, according to the program.
Schedule provided by the Michigan basketball program.
Thursday, Aug. 21: Arrive in Lithuania
Friday, Aug. 22: Practice/Open Day in Lithuania
Saturday, Aug. 23: Game No. 1 vs. Lithuania Men's National Team
Sunday, Aug. 24: Game No. 2 vs. Lithuania B Team
Monday, Aug. 25: Travel to Croatia
Tuesday, Aug. 26: Practice/Open Day
Wednesday, Aug. 27: Game No. 3 vs. Mega Superbet (Serbia)
Thursday, Aug. 28: Open Day
Friday, Aug. 29: Return to the United States
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball headed to Europe for summer scrimmages
Continue reading...
The Wolverines will go to Lithuania and Croatia for nine days from Aug. 21-29, where Dusty May’s group is scheduled to play three exhibition games and take part in cultural and team-building activities across both countries.
"Any time you can get a group together in the summer and actually play games, it's huge," May said in a statement. "This trip gives us the chance to compete, learn, and spend time together before starting the fall semester. On top of that, they'll get to experience basketball in a different part of the world, which is pretty special.”
This is the program's fifth foreign tour, following trips to Belgium (2010), Italy (2014), Spain (2018) and France/Greece (2022) and will be funded privately by athletic donors. This trip not only gives the team an opportunity to bond, but extra time to prepare, as international trips allow teams an additional 10 preseason practices ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
That should go a long ways, as Michigan has lost Yaxel Lendeborg, Will Tschetter, Nimari Burnett and Roddy Gayle Jr. from last year’s national championship team and the expectation is Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. will stay in the 2026 NBA Draft.
Michigan rebuilt its roster with transfers Moustapha Thiam (Cincinnati), J.P. Estrella (Tennessee) and Jalen Reed (LSU), as well as a host of freshmen.
WELCOME BACK: Elliot Cadeau returning to Michigan Wolverines basketball for 2026-27
Five-star Brandon McCoy and McDonald’s All-American Quinn Costello headline the class which also includes Joseph Hartmann, Malachi Brown, Lincoln Cosby and Marcus Moller.
Guards Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney are the key holdovers along with Oscar Goodman, Ricky Liburd and L.J. Cason, who is working his way back from a torn ACL and is expected to sit out the whole 2026-27 season.
There’s a good chance that Michigan, which has one roster spot remaining, will have filled its 15th opening on the team, prior to the trip.
Additional information, including game times and coverage details, will be announced as it becomes available, according to the program.
Michigan Foreign Tour Schedule
Schedule provided by the Michigan basketball program.
Thursday, Aug. 21: Arrive in Lithuania
Friday, Aug. 22: Practice/Open Day in Lithuania
Saturday, Aug. 23: Game No. 1 vs. Lithuania Men's National Team
Sunday, Aug. 24: Game No. 2 vs. Lithuania B Team
Monday, Aug. 25: Travel to Croatia
Tuesday, Aug. 26: Practice/Open Day
Wednesday, Aug. 27: Game No. 3 vs. Mega Superbet (Serbia)
Thursday, Aug. 28: Open Day
Friday, Aug. 29: Return to the United States
Tony Garcia is the Wolverines beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball headed to Europe for summer scrimmages
Continue reading...
