The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1518781
20 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MAY 2024 2024-25, and that means a total rebuild. Junior point guard Dug McDaniel trans- ferred to Kansas State, while junior big man Tarris Reed Jr. was looking for op- portunities elsewhere, too. Though in- coming freshman guard Durral Brooks (Grand Rapids [Mich.] Catholic Cen- tral) reaffirmed his commitment, fresh- man point guard Christian Anderson Jr. opted out of his letter of intent. As of April 5, redshirt junior forward Will Tschetter was the only one who had confirmed he'd stay. But some of May's Florida Atlantic players, including big man Vlad Goldin (15.7 points per game last year) and guard Johnell Davis (18.2), had entered the transfer portal and were expected to join him in Ann Arbor, per sources, while May had contacted several others. May said he wants a mix of veterans and young players on his teams going forward. "By preference, I enjoy the younger players and having continuity — build- ing, growing together, and therefore the lifelong relationships that I feel like I have with almost every player I've ever coached," May said. "It's modern ath- letics, though. The portal will be a valu- able asset every year. We'll use it. "Our goal has always been to find the best players we can find and help them be the best they can be. So, I don't have an answer [on the roster composition]. We're going to find the best players for Michigan, whether it's international, whether it's high school, junior college, or portal. We'll be on the hunt for the best players that fit us and want to be a part of this storied program." But there's no question the portal will play a huge role in assembling his first team. May had contacted at least a half- dozen players in his first week on the job in addition to several prep standouts. "Recruiting now in the portal is more like speed dating than traditional re- cruiting," May said. "I think it's very valuable to have a network of people that you trust, and they trust you. Hopefully, between former players and former coaches, our program's going to have thousands of agents working for us. When I say agents, people who are going to say great things about us and want players to play for us. "We're going to cast a big net. We'll narrow it down, and we'll be very patient. We're not going to take the wrong guys because we have several spots. We're go- ing to be very thorough, but we need to understand that we need to be right. We need to do our research in advance and make sure we make very calculated deci- sions because there are a lot of options, and they're not all great options." The same can be said of assistant coaches, and May reportedly landed a couple good ones out of the gate. Okla- homa State's Mike Boynton Jr. had sev- eral good opportunities after being let go by the OSU, but May was expected to bring him in as one of his top assistants. "Dusty May hiring Mike Boynton is a major move," On3's Joe Tipton said. ❱ May's Head Coaching Record Year School Overall Conf. Finish Tournament Postseason 2018-19 Florida Atlantic 17-16 8-10 T-9th CUSA First Round CIT First Round 2019-20 Florida Atlantic 17-15 8-10 9th canceled (COVID-19) canceled (COVID-19) 2020-21 Florida Atlantic 13-10 7-5 4th (E) CUSA Quarterfinal — 2021-22 Florida Atlantic 19-15 11-7 T-2nd (E) CUSA Quarterfinal CBI First Round 2022-23 Florida Atlantic 35-4 18-2 1st CUSA Champions NCAA Final Four 2023-24 Florida Atlantic 25-9 14-4 2nd AAC Semifinal NCAA First Round 2024-25 Michigan Career Total 126-69 66-38 Winning Percentage 64.6% 63.5% In six seasons at Florida Atlantic, May compiled a program-record 126 wins (126-69, .646) and helped the Owls make a run to the 2023 NCAA Final Four. PHOTO COURTESY FAU ATHLETICS