The departing class included graduating seniors Caris LeVert and Spike Albrecht who were both injured midway through the prior season.

Caris LeVert and Spike Albrecht graduated during their senior seasons for the 2015–16 Michigan Wolverines men's basketball team.

Albrecht used the graduate transfer option to play a fifth year for the 2016–17 Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team.

[3][4] On April 1, Beilein decided not to restrict Doyle or Albrecht from transferring to schools within the Big Ten if they desired to do so.

[15] On May 17, Doyle announced his decision to play for the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles, which became official 2 days later.

[17] On October 11, 2016, a panel of conference media selected a 10-member preseason All-Big Ten Team and Derrick Walton was among the honorees.

[18] Zak Irvin and Walton represented the team at the October 13 Big Ten Basketball Media Day held in Washington, D.C.[19] Michigan began the season unranked, but received votes in the preseason Coaches' Poll.

[21] According to SB Nation Irvin (#11), Walton (#16) and Muhammad Ali Abdur Rahkman (#23) were among the 25 best players entering the season in the Big Ten Conference.

[34] On July 28, Ibi Watson committed to Michigan from Caris LeVert's alma mater Pickerington High School Central.

[39] Sources: Among the accomplishments of the recruits are Simpson earning the 2015 Ohio Associated Press Division I Player of the Year and Davis earning the 2015 Michigan Associated Press Class B Player of the Year awards as juniors as well as Simpson's 2014 Ohio Division III state championship.

[44] Michigan recruits Simpson, Ibi Watson and Jon Teske were all named to the 2015–16 Associated Press Ohio high school Division I boys basketball all-state 1st team.

[45] ESPN's Jeff Borzello named Simpson as one of the top 25 entering freshman in the 2016–17 class on April 6, 2016.

[39] The same day, Poole announced that he would transfer from Rufus King High School in Wisconsin to La Lumiere School in Indiana, where he would experience a campus lifestyle, play a schedule with several ESPN broadcasts, and be teamed up with unsigned class of 2017 prospects Brian Bowen and Jeremiah Tilmon.

[61] Poole was a member of the 2017 Dick's National High School Champion La Lumiere team.

[69] In the semifinal round of the 2016 2K Sports Classic held at Madison Square Garden on November 17, Michigan defeated Marquette 79–61 behind a team-high 16 points from Irvin and 4 other double digit scoring efforts, including D. J. Wilson's first career double-double (10 points and 12 rebounds).

Michigan scored 24 of its 46 points from the free throw line, shooting just 19 percent (10-for-52) from the field, including 2-for-26 from three-point range.

Michigan was led by Irvin with 14 points, as the Wolverines used a 25–4 run to turn a four-point deficit into a 17-point halftime lead.

Michigan was led by Irvin with a game-high 23 points, as the Hokies rallied from a nine-point deficit at halftime to take their first lead of the game with 1:46 remaining and hold on to win.

[80] On December 13, Michigan defeated Central Arkansas by a 97–53 margin on the strength of a school record 19 three-point shots.

Michigan trailed 29–36, at halftime, and Penn State led by as many as 14 points in the second half, before the Wolverines outscored the Nittany Lions 32–15, over the final 12-plus minutes of the game for the comeback win.

[106] On March 5, Michigan handed Nebraska its worst loss in program history (36-point margin) and set a record for opposition points scored (93) in Pinnacle Bank Arena in the final regular season contest of the year.

[107] Walton posted his fourth double-double of the season with a game-high 18 points, and set a Michigan single-game record with 16 assists, surpassing Gary Grant.

[110] On March 8, the team plane slid off the runway after it aborted a takeoff at Willow Run Airport to depart for the 2017 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament.

The team played in practice uniforms, jumped out to an early 31–11 lead and went on to defeat Illinois by a 75–55 score.

Michigan's 16 three-point field goals also tied the Big Ten record for an NCAA Tournament game.

[131] On January 6, 2017, Walton was one of 5 Big Ten players included on the 30-man Senior CLASS Award candidate list.

[134] Walton earned co-Big Ten Player of the week recognition with Jordan Murphy on February 13 and with Swanigan on March 6.

[138] Walton was selected as Most Outstanding Player of the 2017 Big Ten Conference men's basketball tournament and was joined on the All-tournament team by Irvin.

[144] The 2013–14 team had set a Big Ten free throw percentage record by shooting 76.2% for the season.

[152][153] On April 10, both D. J. Wilson and Moe Wagner declared for the 2017 NBA draft, but did not hire agents, which gave them until May 24 to withdraw their names and retain their athletic eligibility to return to Michigan.