The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1535358
8 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2025 D usty May took Michigan basketball from waste- land to wonderland in the space of 12 months. Nobody in the history of the sport at Michigan or in the Big Ten has ever done so better. There have been other quick fixes, for sure, including some of more import — turning water into wine, signing the Declara- tion of Independence and hiring Bo Schembechler among them. But as far as life at Crisler Cen- ter is concerned, nothing cre- ated the immediate impact that May's arrival and talent pro- curement wizardry achieved. The Wolverines limped home with eight victories in 2023-24. Admittedly, that season featured no shortage of bad breaks, in- cluding the serious physical af- fliction of the former head coach. None of them lessened the ash heap May faced upon arrival. Veterans departed and negative recruiters pounced, armed with the poisonous whispers that it would take years to restore Michigan basketball. One year later, May coached Michigan in the NCAA Sweet 16, with a Big Ten Tournament championship trophy and 27 wins safely tucked away. Nobody in Michigan basketball has ever done that, in terms of a success turnaround. Nobody. Nobody in the Big Ten has ever created a positive 19-vic- tory jump in a single season. Not one. The Wolverines secured three dou- ble-digit-win jumps in their men's basketball history, prior to the remark- able events that unfolded last season. In 1918-19, they improved by 12 victories. The first year of the Fab Five (1991-92), the program wins jumped up by 11. And in 2008-09, they also increased by 11 on-court triumphs. But this? This not only marked May as a man Michigan wants to keep for a long, long time, it convinced many he can consistently get the job done over the long haul. College basketball has become an annual quick-fix sport. With NIL, easy player movement, and the ever-present lure of professional sports at play, coaches must patch rosters more thoroughly and faster than ever. May demonstrated his mastery at doing so last year, bringing in a pair of seven-footers and a host of other tal- ent to transform the "be patient" mantra into "let's win now" hysteria at Crisler. Early into his second year in Ann Arbor, he's doubled down. He's again pulled in a head-turning transfer haul, paced by the best player the portal had to offer (and one the NBA could still cull) in big man Yaxel Lend- eborg from UAB. Aday Mara, the 7-3 developing big man from UCLA, Morez Johnson Jr., a high-rise enforcer from Illinois, and erstwhile North Carolina point guard Elliot Cadeau round out the transfer portal haul, and that's far from the whole story. Add in Michigan Mr. Basketball combo guard Trey McKenney, fellow freshman shooting wing Winters Grady — who has drawn comparisons to former U-M guard Nik Stauskas — and power for- ward Oscar Goodman, who joined May at midseason and will be a redshirt fresh- man. That makes for a deep and diverse pool of talent to add to returning veterans of last year's breakthrough squad. It's good enough for ESPN's Jeff Borzello to rank Michigan No. 9 heading into next basket- ball season. Borzello sees only the following teams heading into 2025-26 with better chances: Purdue, UConn, St. John's, Houston, BYU, Duke, Louis- ville and Texas Tech. May looks ready to talent-pack like this on a regular basis, undercutting any naysayer's attempt to cast him as an unproven with an aberrant Final Four appearance at Florida Atlantic. Marvelous. Just don't expect May to self-marvel. He's got work to do, and credit to spread around. "I never marvel at myself," he assured. "I marvel at how our guys came together and gave us something to show as proof that we could play different ways … that we could figure it out, and that we could do it at this level. "Obviously, we're all aware of the questions people have when you move up. It's the same for every mid-major to high-major coach." Michigan moved up, right along with May. Over the pages of this issue, you'll read the ins and outs of every new per- former. You'll get a feel for the skills May will weave into next season's Big Ten title contender. Along with acknowledging May's roster quick-fix ability, there's another aspect which should become increas- ingly clear. Every coach adjusts to rule changes, style demands, and the vagaries of any given era. Know this: May's the man for the mo- ment at Michigan. He's also the man for the dynasty in Ann Arbor, provided he chooses to be. ❑ WOLVERINE WATCH ❱ JOHN BORTON From Wasteland To Wonderland Through one full year, Dusty May's recruiting, roster-building and coaching prowess has been on full display for U-M fans. PHOTO BY PER KJELDSEN Senior writer John Borton has been with The Wolverine since 1991. Contact him at jborton@thewolverine.com and follow him on X (Twitter) @JB_Wolverine.