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Michigan basketball's Roddy Gayle Jr. one step closer to return
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- Michigan basketball's Roddy Gayle Jr. one step closer to return
Roddy Gayle Jr. might be a Wolverine again after all.
The former national champion who finished his senior season in 2025-26 was granted a temporary restraining order by a judge in New York to return to U-M on the heels of a lawsuit he filed earlier this week to play for Michigan basketball this upcoming season.
Roddy Gayle Jr. of the Michigan Wolverines drives to the basket against Amare Bynum of the Ohio State Buckeyes during the first half as Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.
The suit, filed in Niagara County Supreme Court, seeks a preliminary injunction to extend Gayle's eligibility through the 2026-27 season. He's due in court for his hearing on Sept. 17 but is permitted to participate with the team until that time.
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Gayle, per the filing on Aug. 31, has been enrolled at U-M since he joined the program in 2024 and has been practicing with the Wolverines for more than a month, which included the team's overseas trip to Europe last month.
Gayle's filing alleges he only left Michigan to pursue a professional career since the NCAA had not yet passed its five-in-five ruling that will allow players moving forward to have five years of eligibility immediately following their high school career, so long as they start by their age 19 season.
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"I did not leave college for professional basketball. I completed four seasons, I graduated, and the NCAA's new carve-out told me I could not play a fifth," Gayle said in a statement in the court filing. "I have never played in a professional regular season game, and I have never been paid a salary to play basketball, in any league or any country. If the NCAA had applied its new rule to me the way its text reads, I would never have signed anything.
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"I am not asking the Court to order any school to put me on its roster. I am not asking the NCAA for money, and I seek no damages. I am asking only that the NCAA be restrained from declaring me ineligible, from interfering with Michigan's decision to let me play, and from punishing Michigan, its coaches, or my teammates for following this Court's order, so that I may compete for a spot."
Gayle played a career-high 39 games last season, averaging 7.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 21.1 minutes per game. He played in 146 games across his career (which began with two years at Ohio State), starting 72 games, including 25 for U-M this past season.
Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) celebrates a play against Oakland from the bench during the second half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Monday, November 3, 2025.
Even if he Gayle is ruled eligible by the courts, the NCAA could also appeal, as it has done in similar cases.
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U-M hoops names two staffers
Michigan rounded out its staff this week, as the program announced Buzzy Caruthers as the director of player development and appointed Nick Szczechowski as the director of basketball operations.
Szczechowski spent the past four seasons as a student manager, including his final two as head manager. Michigan won the 2025 Big Ten Tournament, the 2026 Big Ten regular season and tournament titles, and the 2026 NCAA national championship in his past two seasons.
The Wyandotte native will oversee "day to day operations while contributing to player development, scouting and analytics," per the program's release.
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"Nick has earned this opportunity through his work ethic, attention to detail and commitment to Michigan basketball," coach Mike Boynton Jr. said in a statement. "He knows what this program takes on a daily basis, and he has continued to grow in every role he has had here."
Caruthers was most recently hired as an assistant coach at Ball State in 2024, and before that he had been at Missouri State (2022-24) and Nebraska (2019-22), where he was the Huskers' director of player development.
A Kansas City native, Caruthers started his coaching career at K.C.'s Barstow High School (2007-11). Caruthers was also a founding member of the MoKan Elite, helping create one of the top travel programs in the country. He also spent a year at his alma mater, Sumner Academy of Arts and Science (2011-12).
"Buzzy brings a great deal of experience, but what stands out most is the way he connects with people," Boynton said in a statement. "He has built a strong reputation as a coach, teacher and mentor, and he will have an important impact on our players and our program every day."
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Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball's Roddy Gayle Jr. one step closer to return
