The start of the college basketball season often creeps up on the Michigan fanbase, being that it kicks off in the heart of the college football season. But believe it or not, we are less than a month out from the start of the 2024-25 college basketball season, and the start of the highly anticipated debut season of Dusty May and a Michigan team full of new faces.
Preseason rankings are an annual tradition to prepare hoops fans for the season, and new rankings dropping Monday morning on KenPom, an advanced statistics website run by Ken Pomeroy that is considered one of the best among coaches, fans and the media.
In the 2024-25 preseason rankings, the Wolverines come in at 36th, including an estimated net rating of +16.91, an estimated adjusted offensive rating of 109.7 (34th in the country) and an adjusted defensive rating of 92.8 (46th).
On the KenPom rankings, Michigan comes in eighth in the Big Ten, behind Purdue (10th), Illinois (23rd), UCLA (26th), Oregon (29th), Ohio State (31st), Iowa (33rd) and Michigan State (35th). Big 12 favorite Houston sits atop the rankings, with Duke, Auburn, Alabama and Connecticut rounding out the top five.
I swear I’m not getting paid by KenPom to say this, but I highly recommend buying a subscription: it’s only $24.95 a year, and it gives subscribers access to so many advanced statistics, scouting reports, and detailed data to better understand what’s happening in college basketball.
Michigan kicks off the 2024-25 season with a home game against Cleveland State on November 4, with exhibition games this Sunday, Oct. 20 against Oakland at Little Caesar’s Arena and against Toledo on Friday, Oct. 25.
There’s a lot of newness surrounding the Wolverines, with a new coaching staff, six incoming transfers and three talented freshman joining the squad. Maize n Brew will have plenty of preview coverage, as well as in-person coverage once the season starts.
That in-person coverage starts Friday: myself and my colleague Jake Singer will be at Michigan’s Media Day and Pro Day. Stay with Maize n Brew for quality hoops coverage of both the men’s and women’s teams all season long.
