The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2025 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 35 podium at the thought it might be his last game. He'd have "some tough deci- sions to make" about his future, May said — the 7-footer eventually declared for the NBA Draft on April 16 — and it was clear it was already weighing on him. "When I left Yale, I didn't know what my basketball future held," Wolf said, tears in his eyes. "I knew I wanted to be at this level. I'd grown up a big Mich- igan fan and sported a ton of Michi- gan clothes. After their Final Fours, all I wanted for my birthday was signed basketballs. "I have so much respect and gratitude for my coaches for allowing me to come here. It was arguably the greatest year of my life, and I made so many amaz- ing relationships. I met my brothers for life, and we had an unbelievable locker room. We stuck with each other through the ups and downs." As for next year's team —it will look different, and it will be up to them to create their own vibe and personality. May, though, wasn't ready to look ahead in the minutes following his team's elimination. "That's the toughest part," May ac- knowledged of letting go. "You think back to when we had the full group here and what they looked like then and where they were at that point. It didn't look anything like it does now. "You're bringing so many new guys, and you have some other guys still in the program. You don't know how their personalities and skill sets are going to mesh. For these guys to want to be better every single day, to be open to change, to love each other, to get off the mat when they get knocked down … I'm just proud of the group." This group set the standard, and it's up to him and his players to live up to it. May and his staff got started immedi- ately in looking to the portal to replace Goldin, Wolf, Donaldson (transfer to Miami) and the others, as he knew he'd have to. "We're not going to have a whole lot of time to reflect and decompress. All our focus will be on building the roster for next year," he said. Michigan is selling style of play, he noted, and trying to build a "champi- onship" roster … but it won't be easy. Some of their top targets were already off the board with reportedly huge NIL deals. Many of them are going to go to the highest bidder. Michigan also had plenty to spend and hit the ground running with the ad- ditions of UCLA center Aday Mara, UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg, UNC point guard Elliot Cadeau and Illinois for- ward Morez Johnson Jr., but May made it clear from the beginning — he was looking for fit, too, not just kids looking for the biggest bag. May insisted after the Auburn loss that U-M was in a solid spot with guys who bought into his vi- sion, and he proved it. "We're in a very competitive market, and the growth of our program across the board," he said. "NIL, the way we operate … Everything 's improved. That's all you can ask is to continue moving in the right direction." But he also knows the realities of NIL with the one-year transfer rule. Every season is a new adventure, and there are no "off" days. "It's going to be difficult, but I think that's the new normal in college basket- ball," he said. "The days of doing it how we did it in the past where some years you have a big recruiting class and the next year you don't have to bring anyone in, or just one or two guys … those days are over for a number of reasons. "Fortunately, we accept and embrace all parts of the job. I'm eager to get after it and add some guys that can help our team, hopefully, continue to play a little bit longer than this." Someday, though, years from now — faster than they could imagine, prob- ably — this team will reconvene and talk about what they accomplished when nobody else gave them a shot. For that, May will be forever grateful. "They left a legacy," he praised. "They've helped us establish an iden- tity, and they should be very, very proud of their body of work." That includes a Big Ten championship banner that will hang in the Crisler Cen- ter rafters to remind everyone of what they accomplished together. Yes, they had their flaws, but it's a maize and blue group that won't soon be forgotten. ❑ Danny Wolf had 9 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks to help U-M hold off upset-minded UC San Diego, 68-65, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETICS