The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1520409
66 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2024 I f there's anything a reporter can glean in two-plus de- cades on the job, it's that you can't fake sincerity, and you can't fake chemistry. Some of the more talented teams we've seen and covered have failed in its ab- sence (Michigan football, 1995 and '96) — others that might other- wise have been long shots to win titles were able to anyway because of it (U-M basketball, 2011-12). Whether it's relationships be- tween coaches and players, players and their teammates, or even staff members, if something's missing, then usually so is a championship. New Michigan men's basket- ball head coach Dusty May has learned a lot in his decades of coaching, but that's something he gleaned quickly. It was at the forefront of his mind when he put his first staff at U-M together, one that brought high praise from basketball pundits. "You hire this guy, that guy, and then you take a step back and look at it and say, 'Wow … this is a talented group of guys that are really going to work well together and spin off each other,'" May said. "And us being a great team as a staff is as important as our team being great teammates. Without us modeling the behavior, it's not going to happen on the court. "We were on Day 2 of official vis- its [with recruits], and coach [Justin] Joyner was the last to join us [from Saint Mary's]. It was his second day on the job, and one of the recruits said, 'It seems like you guys have worked to- gether forever.' I kind of looked around, and you could just feel the positive energy, the synergy within the group. Hopefully, all of us together continue to attract guys that value that human con- nection, the enjoyment that comes with being part of a team." They appear to be well on their way. The coaches that came with him from Florida Atlantic — Kyle Church, Drew Williamson and Brandon Gilbert — are all "very proficient in what they do, or else they wouldn't have been playing in April," May said, referencing FAU's Final Four run in 2023. He poached Akeem Miskdeen, who had been on his FAU staff earlier, from Georgia, noting, "I've always enjoyed being around him because he's trying to learn, get better every single day, and he's already really good at his job." Joyner is known as a defensive wizard with great recruiting chops, while land- ing former Oklahoma State head coach Mike Boynton was a coup. "It starts with Coach Boynton, obvi- ously," May said of the success in assem- bling his staff. "Coaching in the Big 12, he's sat in that seat in pressure moments. A lot of games he went against the best in the game, and he's had some of the best defensive teams in the country." Together, this U-M staff assembled a roster in six weeks that many believe is an NCAA Tournament squad (at least). They landed eight signees from eight official visitors — almost unheard of — and have made great progress with class of 2025 preps, as well. The program has gone from dead in the water to contender in two months, and May won't shy away from the renewed expecta- tions. In fact, he embraces them. "If we stay healthy and get all these guys to the court in No- vember and December, then we have a very competitive roster," he said. "I'm not going to hide and downplay expectations, because I think this team has a really high, high ceiling, and a pretty high floor, as well. "I think we have a lot of pieces, a lot of interchangeable parts that have won at a high level. They care about winning. I don't think up to this point it could have gone much better." Nor could the reception he's gotten as Michigan coach, he said. He beamed when asked how it felt to wear the block "M" on his shirt every day, calling it "unbelievable." "Our staff, we've talked about it at length … we've been very well received locally, nationally, internationally," May said. "This brand is even better than we thought, and we thought it was un- believable. We thought it was amaz- ing, and it's even better. But also, we do think we're selling something unique. We're only recruiting really unselfish players with a great, competitive spirit … guys that want to do it together, guys that are going to care about each other. "So, we put together a group we're really excited to coach, because not only are they extremely talented, but they are great, great people and teammates. We can't wait to get them all here and start forming our team." After two years away from the NCAA Tournament, Michigan basketball fans can't wait to see it. Indeed … welcome to Ann Arbor, Dusty May. ❏ Dusty May moved quickly to hire a new staff and assemble a highly competitive roster for 2024-25, with six transfer portal additions and two new prep recruits to go along with one holdover. PHOTO COURTESY IBCA COACHES CLINIC Chris Balas has been with The Wolverine since 1997. Contact him at cbalas @thewolverine.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @Balas _ Wolverine. INSIDE MICHIGAN ❱ CHRIS BALAS An Amazing First Impression