Brandon McCoy Jr. injury casts a pall over Michigan's Europe finale

Michigan basketball ended its foreign tour on a bittersweet note.

After dropping the first two exhibitions against Lithuania teams, the Wolverines capped their Europe trip with an 84-81 win over Serbia’s Mega Superbet on Aug. 27 at the Sportski Centar Igalo in Herceg Novi, Montenegro, but lost one of their standout freshmen in the process.

Brandon McCoy Jr., a five-star guard and one of the team’s two incoming McDonald’s All-Americans, exited 20 seconds into the game with an injury. After McCoy came away with a steal on the first possession, he slipped as he drove to the basket in transition.

McCoy stayed down for several moments and was tended to by trainer Chris Williams. He got up favoring his right leg and didn’t put any weight on it before he was carried off the court and back to the locker room.

A program spokesperson didn't have a postgame update on McCoy’s status "other than that he will continue to be evaluated."

McCoy’s exit overshadowed a contest in which Michigan trailed by as much as 14 in the first half and for much of the first three quarters. That changed when Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney took over in the fourth quarter and fueled a 13-0 run that put Michigan in front for good, turning a three-point deficit into a 77-67 lead.

McKenney, who returned after missing the second exhibition, finished with 25 points and seven rebounds. Cadeau scored 15 in 17 minutes due to foul trouble. The two combined for 19 of Michigan’s 22 points in the fourth quarter.

“We had a meeting a couple days ago just talking about Michigan culture and Michigan basketball. I think we really showed tonight what we could be throughout the season,” McKenney said in postgame statement provided by the program.

“I’m excited to get back to Ann Arbor, get the group under one arena, practice for a couple months and get ready for the season.”

J.P. Estrella added 16 points in 15 minutes before fouling out for Michigan, which shot 48.3% from the field and made 12 3-pointers but committed 21 turnovers that led to 23 points for Mega Superbet.

The Wolverines were bit by the injury bug throughout the trip and were already shorthanded before McCoy went down. Moustapha Thiam, the team’s starting center, exited in the first quarter of Michigan’s first exhibition game after his lower right leg was rolled up on by Cadeau. Thiam didn’t play in the last two exhibitions.

Ricky Liburd was sidelined for all three games. Thiam and Liburd “rested nagging injuries as a precaution,” according to a program release. Jalen Reed (Achilles) and Lincoln Cosby (ACL) were also unavailable as they continue to rehab and work their way back from their respective surgeries.

During its first leg of the 10-day trip, Michigan fell to the Lithuania national team, 96-84, on Aug. 23 and the country’s reserve squad, 82-77, on Aug. 24 in Lithuania en route to finishing 1-2 on its three-game European tour.

The Wolverines are scheduled to return to the United States on Aug. 29 and will look to get back to full health as they continue preparations for the 2026-27 season.

“We are really grateful and thankful for the opportunity to come out here and represent Michigan,” coach Mike Boynton Jr. said in a statement.

“This is a program of high character, hard work, improvement and development. I think our guys really got better over this week, and we look forward to getting back and seeing how we can build off it.”