Brandon McCoy injury update: Losing 5-star freshman would be massive blow

Michigan basketball saved its best game for last in Europe, coming from behind in the second half in Croatia to beat Mega Superbet − a professional men’s basketball club based in Belgrade, Serbia, − 84-81 to wrap up its three-game exhibition series overseas.

Trey McKenney scored a team-high 25 points, J.P. Estrella added 16 despite fouling out in 16 minutes and Elliot Cadeau scored 15.

Despite the victory, the primary story from this game came in the first minute, when five-star freshman Brandon McCoy Jr. suffered an injury on a fastbreak near the basket. He grabbed at his right knee and had to be carried off the court.

A look at the roster for defending NCAA champion Michigan Wolverines for the 2026-27 season under new coach Mike Boynton Jr. …

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A look at the roster for defending NCAA champion Michigan Wolverines for the 2026-27 season under new coach Mike Boynton Jr. …

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Redshirt freshman guard Ricky Liburd.

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Redshirt junior power forward J.P. Estrella.

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Graduate transfer power forward Jalen Reed.

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Redshirt sophomore forward Oscar Goodman.

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Freshman power forward Quinn Costello.

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Redshirt junior forward Harrison Hochberg.

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Expected to redshirt: freshman forward Lincoln Cosby.

He did not return to the bench for the entirety of the game.

“We are really grateful and thankful for the opportunity to come out here and represent Michigan,” Mike Boynton Jr. said in a statement after the game. “Thank you to our administration for giving us this chance to be out here for a week or so, bonding as a team, but also playing basketball and representing what our program has built us up to be.

“This is a program of high character, hard work, improvement and development. I think our guys really got better over this week, and we look forward to getting back and seeing how we can build off it.”

McCoy covered his face when he went down and couldn’t put any weight on his leg after he tried to stand up. It would be a massive blow for the Wolverines, but there has not yet been an announcement from Michigan on the severity of the injury.

U-M trailed by as much as 14 in the first half and went into the half down 49-38. U-M opened the half with a 12-4 run behind 3-pointers from Oscar Goodman, Quinn Costello and McKenney to pull within three, before Marcus Moller drilled a 3 later in the quarter to knot the game at 59.

Michigan trailed 67-64 early in the fourth quarter when it flipped the game on its head with a 13-0 run. Cadeau made five straight free throws to give Michigan the lead before he whipped a cross-court pass from the top of the key to Costello in the corner who drilled another long ball.

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After a McKenney layup, Cadeau hit a 3 of his own to give Michigan a 10-point lead. A slashing and-one layup by McKenney seemingly game U-M a comfortable lead, 83-74, only for Mega to score seven straight and pull within a bucket in the closing seconds.

McKenney split from the line, a last-second heave missed and Michigan held on for the 3win.

Michigan finished the trip 1-2 and in many aspects got what it wanted out of the time together overseas.

“We had a meeting a couple days ago just talking about Michigan culture and Michigan basketball,” McKenney said in a statement. “I think we really showed tonight what we could be throughout the season. I’m excited to get back to Ann Arbor, get the group under one arena, practice for a couple months and get ready for the season.”

The concern, of course, is the team’s health. Moustapha Thiam played just the first six minutes of the first game, then did not see action again he suffered what appeared to be a lower body injury to his right leg. A person within the program told the Free Press it was not a major injury.

Michigan is scheduled to return home Saturday.

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.