Michigan men's basketball will be without its highest-rated recruit for the entire 2026-27 season.

Five-star freshman guard Brandon McCoy Jr. tore the ACL in his right knee during an Aug. 27 exhibition game on the Wolverines' European trip and will miss the year, coach Mike Boynton Jr. confirmed on the program's 'Defend the Block' podcast, which published Friday, Sept. 4.

Boynton also addressed injuries to junior center Moustapha Thiam and redshirt sophomore guard Ricky Liburd. Both are expected to be available when practice begins in mid-September.

McCoy's season ends before it starts

McCoy went down on Michigan's first offensive possession against Serbian professional club Mega Superbet, roughly 20 seconds into the game, according to the Detroit News. He fell awkwardly attempting a layup and was carried off the floor by teammates. He did not return.

McCoy, ranked No. 10 overall in the 2026 recruiting class by the 247Sports composite, is the highest-rated high school recruit Michigan has signed this century, per 247Sports. He started all three exhibition games and averaged 14.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 steals per game in the first two contests in Lithuania before the injury.

McCoy is waiting for swelling to subside before undergoing ACL repair surgery at Michigan.

"No question, Brandon McCoy is a guy we expected to have a major impact on our team, a guy who worked his butt off this summer to put himself in position to earn that right," Boynton said on the podcast.

Thiam, Liburd expected back

Thiam is a 7-foot-2, 250-pound transfer from Cincinnati. He had his lower leg rolled up on by guard Elliot Cadeau six minutes into Michigan's first exhibition game on Sunday, Aug. 23, in Lithuania, On3 reported. He sat out the final two games as a precaution.

Boynton called the injury "something minor" and said Thiam will have a chance to make a significant impact on both ends of the floor. In his six minutes of action, Thiam posted 6 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal, including an alley-oop dunk off a feed from Cadeau.

Liburd, a 6-foot-5 guard who redshirted during Michigan's 2025-26 national championship season, did not play in any of the three exhibition games. He underwent a minor, non-invasive procedure for a hip impingement before the team left for Europe.

Boynton said Liburd has been back in the gym since the team returned and that the issue should not affect the practice or playing season.

What's next

The injuries forced freshmen Quinn Costello and Marcus Moller into extended minutes overseas. Costello played about 20 minutes per game; Moller logged 16-17 minutes as the backup center.

Michigan opens the 2026-27 season at home against Oakland on Tuesday, Nov. 3, at Crisler Center.