Boynton on five-in-five additions: “We always will look for opportunities to improve”

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When asked if he could still be adding players as the ever-changing legal situation regarding five-in-five eligibility for the 2022 class unfolds, Mike Boynton Jr. was crystal clear: “We always will look for opportunities to improve from a roster standpoint.”

But when the conversation shifted to Roddy Gayle Jr. — obviously a potential beneficiary of the new Colorado ruling on the NCAA’s five-in-five eligibility rule — Boynton’s comments were a bit hazier as he discussed the uncertainty of the situation.

“I think I can talk about him because we coached him for two years. But obviously, under these circumstances, I don’t know exactly what it all means. If there’s an opportunity for Roddy to be back and he wants to be back, we certainly will have him back.”

With so many legal cases, rulings, stays and injunctions, it can be hard to sort out fact from fiction. Gayle’s fifth year is covered by an injunction in the federal case in Colorado, but a ruling on a stay for the NCAA is expected sometime this week. Even with that ruling, sorting out what eligibility means is no simple task for a player who thought his career was over a few months ago.

“I think all of it is kind of a hurdle,” Boynton said, referencing Gayle’s stint with the Detroit Pistons in the NBA Summer League. “Just the fact that he technically exhausted eligibility first, so in his mind there’s not even really a thought of (coming back to college). So you kind of operate with the information you have at the time.

“And so I think in fairness, if he had known that and he wanted to come back, maybe he would have considered that before playing in Summer League, but that wasn’t the information at the time. …So, like I said, we’ll monitor it, and if it’s an option, we’ll certainly support it.”

Gayle would certainly be a get for Michigan. Of course, he’ll bring his stats: over 7 points, 3 rebounds and an assist in under 22 minutes per game last season. He’s a 6-foot-5 guard who can jump through the roof and play high-level defense against guards and bigs alike.