Michigan basketball top signee Quinn Costello 'excited' by U-M run

6 days ago 2

Michigan basketball's top recruit in the class of 2026 got a front-row seat to the Wolverines' historic start.

Quinn Costello, a four-star power forward out of The Newman School (Boston) was in attendance for U-M's 96-66 romp over USC on Friday, Jan. 2 at Crisler Center, as the Wolverines returned to Big Ten play.

This was Costello's third trip to Ann Arbor but his first time watching U-M play at home – he saw the Wolverines' exhibition against St. John's in New York in November.

He couldn't be a bigger fan of the team's 13-0 start.

Four-star class of 2026 power forward commit Quinn Costello attended Michigan's rout of USC at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026. It was his third trip to Ann Arbor but first for a game.

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"It's been awesome to watch," Costello said in before the game Friday. "To see what they've been able to accomplish, the teams they're blowing out. ... Looks like they're having a ton of fun out there and I'm excited to be a part of it."

Costello leads The Newman School – 13-1 near the midway point of its season – in scoring t 19 points a game. Costello is the top-rated player in Massachusetts, the No. 7 power forward nationally and a top-40 prospect regardless of position, per 247 Sports' consensus rankings.

At 6 feet 10 and 195 pounds, Costello is a prototypical stretch four in the modern game.

"My calling card is shooting the ball, but I think I've done a good job kind of expanding my game," he said. "Driving closeouts, running the floor, getting out in transition, scoring there and being a leader."

Costello was a bit of a late bloomer, but still heavily pursued by several top schools, including Big Ten powers Purdue and Michigan State – both of which he visited in the weeks leading up to his Ann Arbor visit.

By the time he got the Wolverines' sales pitch, there was nothing more he needed to see or hear.

"I think it was just the coaching staff, me and Dusty's relationship and the play style," he said. "The way they use their bigs, guys like me, is super intriguing and I like they give their guys a ton of freedom."

Michigan head coach Dusty May watches a play against USC during the first half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 2, 2026.

While Costello was sold months ago, he got to learn even more this past weekend. He spent more than 48 hours in Ann Arbor leading up to Friday he got to watch a practice, attend walkthrough and then meet with coaches on the court ahead of the game.

It was a behind-the-scenes look that can't be replicated at other times of the year, and he's already trying to store what he learned in his memory before he arrives in Ann Arbor for good in just a few months.

"I'm just trying to learn all their terminology," Costello said. "The way Dusty coaches, it's been really cool to see it. I've been locked in and learning, just trying to get a headstart on it."

Costello has started to communicate with players in his recruiting class, saying he and Joseph Hartman – a shooting guard signed out of Gainesville, Florida – have talked "a good amount." He has also been able to catch up with three-star signee Malachi Brown (small forward, Knoxville, Tennessee) here and there. He also sees Ricky Liburd – redshirting this season with the Wolverines – as an extended member of the class and he's spent "a good amount of time with him.

Massachusetts' high school season is slated to end in mid-March, and Costello said he plans to attend some games in the NCAA Tournament – something he hopes is "a national championship run" – should his schedule permit.

He's slated to graduate in May and arrive in Ann Arbor in June, though he already has lofty goals for the 2026-27 campaign.

"I'm ready to go," he said. "Obviously I have a senior year to finish, but I'm super-excited to be here. Trying to get here as soon as I possibly can. I'm ready to go win some games next year and hopefully we get back-to-back national championships."

Tony Garcia is the Wolverines 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 top signee Quinn Costello 'excited' by U-M run

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