Death, taxes and Michigan basketball under Dusty May landing foreign-born centers taller than 7 feet.
On Tuesday, July 8, the Wolverines procured their first commit in the class of 2026 in the form of Marcus Möller, a 7-foot-3, 230-pound center from Denmark. The big man most recently played for Unicaja Baloncesto in the Spanish Tercera FEB, which is the fourth tier of professional hoops in Spain (behind Liga ACB, Primera FEB and Segunda FEB).
He most recently competed for Denmark’s national team in the 2014 U18 EuroBasket Tournament, in which he averaged 13.1 points and 7.4 rebounds.
He reportedly visited Colorado State, Oklahoma State and SMU in addition to his official visit to Ann Arbor this summer.
Joe Tipton of Rivals first broke the news of the commitment and he spoke with Möeller about the decision.
“We share visions of my future, and he will put me in a situation where I will develop,” Möeller said of his relationship with May. “He will push me to make me the best version of myself as a basketball player as well as a person. His focus on the person and not just the basketball player builds a healthy environment for growth.
“I’m a 7’2 versatile big. I can stretch the court and knock down shots, but also create mismatches and advantages for the team. I show a big presence in the defense with my length and timing. I am mobile and play with a high basketball IQ. I’m ready to compete and bring my values to the team every day.”
May clearly has an affinity for foreign-born bigs. In his first year in Ann Arbor, the center (literally and figuratively) of his team was 7-foot-1 Russian big Vladislav Goldin. May also added 6-7 forward Oscar Goodman (New Zealand) in a redshirt season in the middle of the campaign.
Then, this offseason, May and company prioritized landing Aday Mara, the 7-3, 240-pound center who hails from Zaragoza, Spain, and spent the past two years at UCLA. Most recently, U-M landed Malick Kordel, a 22-year-old German 7-footer, for this year’s team; iIt’s unclear if his eligibility will begin as a freshman or sophomore.
May has said he loves the “team-first” aspect of European hoops, and this will make at least four incoming players from overseas in May’s first three seasons that stand 7 feet or taller, and five overall.
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 lands first 2026 commit in 7-foot-3 Danish center Marcus Möeller
Reporting by Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
