UCLA is just weeks away from starting its second season in the Big Ten. After capturing seven Big Ten championships during their first year in the conference, the Bruins will look to build upon their inaugural year. Prior to the start of UCLA’s second Big Ten campaign, Daily Bruin Sports will preview football, basketball and other top programs from each school.

Football
2024 record: 8-5, 5-4 Big Ten, ReliaQuest Bowl victory
Coach: Sherrone Moore
Player to Watch: Bryce Underwood

It would’ve been virtually impossible to recreate Michigan football’s seemingly perfect 2023 campaign.

The Wolverines boasted a spotless record and saw 13 players selected in the 2024 NFL Draft. But when legendary coach Jim Harbaugh left the program to helm the Los Angeles Chargers prior to the 2024 season, it seemed like the Wolverines’ back-to-back championship aspirations resembled nothing more than a pipe dream.

But successful programs don’t just vanish out of thin air, and Michigan will always have the prestige, history and brand that comes with being college football’s winningest program.

Although the Wolverines didn’t win 15 straight or capture a national championship, their 2024 campaign was still successful, setting the foundation for what will come in Ann Arbor under the new tutelage of head coach Sherrone Moore.

Despite losing five contests last season, which represented more losses than its three prior seasons combined, Michigan upset its arch rival, Ohio State, as near 20-point underdogs last November. The team also bested an Alabama squad likely looking to avenge its defeat to Michigan in the 2023-2024 College Football Playoff at the ReliaQuest Bowl in December.

Moore brought in true freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, flipping the former LSU commit to the Wolverines while securing the No. 1-ranked recruit from the class of 2025. Although leading an offense as a freshman is no easy feat in the Big Ten, Underwood should be an upgrade over quarterback Davis Warren, who ranked dead last in the Big Ten in passing yards and threw more interceptions than touchdowns.

Most importantly, though, the Wolverines are returning some of their top receiving weapons, who should prove reliable for Underwood.

Wide receivers Kendrick Bell, Semaj Morgan and Peyton O’Leary are all back in Ann Arbor. Although the trio didn’t blow up the statsheet – combining for just 311 receiving yards last season – it could provide veteran leadership and stability to the offense.

Additionally, tight ends Max Bredeson and Marlin Klein return to Michigan, providing large and trustworthy options downfield.

On the other side of the ball, the Wolverines lost key edge rushers that contributed to a unit that ranked fourth in the conference in sacks. Derrick Moore, who garnered four sacks last season, is a key starting unit returner on the edge of the defensive line. What they lost on the edges of the front seven they retained in the middle, keeping their top two tacklers in linebackers Jaishawn Barham and Ernest Hausmann, who combined for 155 tackles during the 2024 campaign.

While one of the youngest starters on the turf will lead the Wolverines next season, the team returns 13 total starters, which ties for tenth nationally. And after winning eight games in 2024 – when they retained just five starters and had quarterback struggles – there is more optimism in Ann Arbor for 2025.

Men’s basketball
2024-2025 record: 27-10, 14-6 Big Ten, Sweet Sixteen appearance
Coach: Dusty May
Player to Watch: Yaxel Lendeborg

Dusty May has revolutionized Michigan basketball.

May stormed to first in the Big Ten tournament and garnered a Sweet Sixteen appearance in his first season with the Wolverines. And while his performances in the postseason illustrate his poise when the pressure mounts, May demonstrates his real artistry through his recruiting.

The former Florida Atlantic coach brought star center Vladislav Goldin with him to Ann Arbor alongside Yale transfer forward Danny Wolf, the two instantly creating one of the most dominant frontcourts in the nation last season.

Butit’s possible that May outdid his inaugural transfer portal success as he heads into his second season at Michigan’s helm.

The Wolverines landed North Carolina transfer and former top-15 high school prospect guard Elliot Cadeau to replace guard Tre Donaldson as the squad’s main facilitator. Cadeau will enter the Big Ten as one of the top-ranked playmakers, despite his struggles to consistently hit nylon.

And just as he did last season, May completely overhauled the Wolverines’ frontcourt, bringing in 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara from UCLA, forward Morez Johnson Jr. from Illinois and forward Yaxel Lendeborg from UAB.

Mara will immediately bolster the Wolverines’ interior offense and shot-blocking capability after a breakout season with the Bruins. Johnson should carve out a bigger role for himself at Michigan after posting an efficient seven points and 6.7 rebounds per game while only playing 17.6 minutes per contest at Illinois. Lendeborg was one of the top names in the portal and a projected first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The UAB transfer withdrew his name from the draft to opt for an additional collegiate season.

May also retained veteran starters in Roddy Gayle Jr. and Nimari Burnett, who averaged 9.8 and 9.4 points per game, respectively, last season.

Still, the question of how the new players will all mesh together remains. Despite this, Lendeborg could develop into one of the top players in the country, given his 17.7 points and 11.4 rebounds per game last season.

The Wolverines have the necessary top-end talent to reach the latter stages of the NCAA tournament alongside a capable and high-IQ point guard – who is looking for a fresh start and a bounce-back season – a versatile front court and veteran returners that could notch double-digit points each night.

Combine that with the team’s status as reigning conference champions, and Michigan is cooking with gas.

Women’s basketball
2024-2025 record: 23-11, 11-7 Big Ten, NCAA Tournament Second Round appearance
Coach: Kim Barnes Arico
Player to Watch: Olivia Olson

Conference success sometimes doesn’t translate to success on the national level.

This reality plagued Michigan women’s basketball last season.

Although Michigan made some noise in the conference tournament – falling to No. 2 seed USC in the semifinal – the squad suffered an early exit in the March Madness, suffering a 21-point loss in the second round to Notre Dame.

But when you consider that three of the program’s top four scorers were freshmen, the Wolverines’ season becomes one of the more impressive in the conference.

Guard Olivia Olson led the charge, averaging 16.3 points per game and adding 5.3 rebounds. Her backcourt counterpart, Syla Swords, complemented Olson’s prowess. The Sudbury, Ontario, local averaged 16 points per contest and led the team in rebounds with 6.2 per game.

Guard Mila Holloway rounded out the first-year trio, shooting a team-leading 38.4% from beyond the arc.

And coach Kim Barnes Arico managed to retain all three guards for their second collegiate seasons. The three freshmen should see an increase in production and efficiency with a full year of experience under their belts.

UCLA transfer guard Kendall Dudley should also aid the backcourt’s performance heading into the 2025-2026 campaign. The former five-star prospect and No. 18-ranked member of the class of 2024 by ESPN will create a quartet of sophomore contributors for Barnes Arico.

However, what the Wolverines have in the backcourt, they lack in the frontcourt. Michigan brought in forward Ashley Sofilkanich from Bucknell, who won Patriot League Player of the Year and averaged 19.7 points along with 8.4 rebounds per game during her sophomore season, to address the team’s glaring weakness.

Sofilkanich should immediately slide into the starting lineup, easing the scoring weight put on the backcourt’s shoulders and providing a key scoring option inside the 3-point line.

But the team still lacks height. Sofilkanich, who stands at 6-foot-3, is one of the Wolverines’ tallest players, which could provide matchup issues against opponents that feature more lengthy starting lineups.

Michigan may not have all of the pieces to go the distance in March, but if the sophomores continue to settle into their roles and the transfers prove to be serviceable, then the team could inch closer to showering confetti.