Kenny Noland knows exactly what Michigan needs him to be

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Kenny Noland was “probably as intentional of a signing as we had,” according to Mike Boynton Jr., and it’s easy to see why.

Of all the players Michigan brought in this year, none were expected to have such a defined role on this roster. Moustapha Thiam wasn’t brought in just to guard the rim, JP Estrella is shooting the most threes of his career, and even Quinn Costello is expected to become more than a corner-three specialist as he ages.

Noland, meanwhile, is the backup for preseason All-Big Ten point guard Elliot Cadeau.

“We probably got called by 25 kids,” Boynton said. “We probably looked at 20 of them. A couple, we were just like, ‘That’s not going to work.’ And then it came down to like, ‘Who really can fit this specific role?’ It’s a very specific role.”

“There probably wasn’t a starting opportunity available at that spot. There probably wasn’t a ton of minutes at point guard, but (Noland’s) ability (to provide) a high floor, right? He brings a tremendous amount of stability. If Elliot’s in foul trouble like he did the other day, or maybe he’s just having an off night, but (Noland) also can play with him because he’s shown the ability to score.”

Unlike Roddy Gayle Jr., who didn’t expect to find himself back in a collegiate jersey come the 2026-27 season, Noland saw the future a little more clearly. When rumors of the NCAA adopting the current five-in-five eligibility rules reached players in April, Noland put himself in the portal just in case.

“We put our name in the portal thinking like ‘Oh I think if it goes through, I’m pretty sure they will give us another year otherwise there’ll be lawsuits,’ ” Noland said.

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