On Tuesday, Danish 7-footer Marcus Moller became the first 2026 recruit to commit to the Michigan Basketball. Here’s an in-depth breakdown of what fans can expect from him:
The 2026 recruiting class for the Michigan men’s basketball team is currently a party of one, with Danish center Marcus Moller committing on Tuesday .
Today, we’ll break down what we know about Moller, go in-depth on his game and project what his role could be at Michigan.
What we know so far
At 7-foot-3, Moller is one of the most intriguing international prospects in the class. Moller is unranked at the moment, which is common for international recruits more than a year away from debuting in college basketball. He took a visit to Ann Arbor last month, and also took trips to SMU, Colorado State and Oklahoma State before choosing the Wolverines.
Moller represented Denmark at the 2024 FIBA U18 EuroBasket and at the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers. In 2024 — the larger sample size of games — Moller averaged 13.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.7 blocks per game, while shooting 55.4 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from three.
In an interview with 247Sports’ Travis Barnham , it sounds like the pitch May made to Moller was similar to the pitches made to Danny Wolf , Morez Johnson Jr. , and Patrick Liburd — at Michigan, you can improve as a player and expand your game.
“Coach May will put me in situations where I’ll be in a top program and I’ll be pushed to grow every day,” Moller said. “We share visions in regards to my development, and together we will elevate my game to the next level. He will push me to become 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.”
Scouting Report
The biggest critique scouts often have for young bigs — who often undergo one or two massive growth spurts from ages 13-16 — is their footwork and fluidity. Oftentimes, young bigs can look like Bambi on an icy pond ; they’re aware of their long legs, but they’re still working through how to move smoothly. This can be tough in a sport like basketball where the game moves fast and you’re constantly asked to multitask and process what’s happening around you quickly.
Moller showcases good footwork for his lanky frame on both ends of the floor, making it appears he’s conquered the growing pains young bigs often go through. He runs the floor well in transition, has a good feel in the pick-and-roll, and executes help-side and drop coverage well on defense.
In the EuroBasket qualifiers earlier this year, Moller was often playing against players that had 5-10 years of age on him. Like a younger brother dragged along with older kids in the neighborhood, playing against more experienced guys will only help him in the long run.
Moller is a good cutter who has a decent feel for where to rotate in the lane on drives. He’s an obvious lob threat who can finish effective drives. He’s also a good offensive rebounder who crashes the glass with tenacity and keeps the ball high for easy finishes; boxing him out is going to be challenging, even in a conference known for its size in the Big Ten.
Perhaps what’s most intriguing about Moller is his shooting touch. He’s closer to Vlad Goldin than Danny Wolf in terms of his comfort level shooting the three, but he did knock down threes as a pick-and-pop player when he didn’t roll to the rim. Looking at his mid-range makes, he has good touch on his jump shot.
Defensively, Moller is a good rim protector who can often block shots without getting more than a few inches off the ground. He also does a good job contesting shots without fouling, a skill that can take years for big men to master.
Like most young 7-footers, Moller has a skinny frame, but that can be worked on in a college strength program. He also doesn’t shy away from contact, which is always a great sign.
Moller’s future outlook on Michigan’s roster
Trying to predict what any college basketball roster will look like a year from now is like trying to predict the weather a year from now. That said, I like to think of young big men like cornerbacks in football — you can never have too many of them, even if some of them are developmental projects.
That may be what Moller is for Michigan. At worst, he’s a backup that you have to game plan for due to his size. At best, he could be a go-to player who finishes around the rim, racks up double-doubles and competes with the 7-footers that Matt Painter seems to be obsessed with at Purdue.
In terms of the short-term frontcourt needs, Yaxel Lendeborg and Will Tschetter each only have one year of eligibility. Meanwhile, Morez Johnson, Aday Mara and Malick Kordel all have multiple years of eligibility, but you can’t always count on them being in Ann Arbor more than one season with the transfer portal being a thing.
Moller can compete against some of those bigs in practice and can continue to grow his game. Seeing how Wolf improved his draft stock significantly likely piqued Moller’s interest in Michigan, and if that’s a dream May can sell to recruits and execute development-wise, Michigan can become the premier destination for young big men.
What are your first impressions of Moller, and what do you think his future has in store at Michigan? Let us know in the comments.