The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541451
40 THE WOLVERINE ❱ DECEMBER 2025 ❱ MICHIGAN BASKETBALL "We forced a team that doesn't want to shoot a lot of floaters and tough middies into floaters and tough middies because of our guards' ability to sit down and defend on the perimeter. I thought our gap cover- age improved as the game went on. And so, without a doubt, we're much more equipped to win a Big Ten game today than we were yesterday because of the schedule." May has not been shy about challeng- ing his players, and Mara's ability to guard at each level has been a push from the Michigan staff. The Wolverines got every- thing they could have asked for and more out of their starting center. "I'm going to give Aday credit," May said. "The last couple of games, he strug- gled guarding on the perimeter. The op- position bigs had their way with us. Even in practice, he struggled in that regard. The staff has challenged him. I thought he did an A-plus job, without looking at the film, an A-plus job of contesting threes. He blocked a couple of them. He defended the drives. "I didn't think he could play that much. He's capable of a lot. He's just scratching the surface, man. Obviously, his stat line is impressive. He made so many more in- visible plays and changed so many shots." — Anthony Broome CHARLIE MAY HAS HIS MICHIGAN MOMENT U-M's season-opening 121-78 win over Oakland was a celebration of the past with a Big Ten Tournament banner being hung, and a glimpse at what could be an incred- ibly bright future for the nation's No. 7 overall team. But more than anything else, it was a celebration of family. Michigan head coach Dusty May subbed in his son, senior walk-on guard Charlie May, to play the final 7 minutes of game action. With 3:06 left in the contest, May hit a three-pointer to give the Wolverines a 116-74 lead and notch his first career bucket in the process. "I thought Charlie May was dynamite. Beat you guys to the punch," U-M's head coach quipped in his postgame press conference. May later reflected on the moment as a father and not within the confines of what it meant in a basketball game. "I told [MGoBlue's Ed Kengerski] when we did the postgame [interview] that as a coach's son, these guys go through a lot," Dusty May said. "Good, bad ... my boys have grown up when my career's gone much better than it did earlier in my career. But you pull them ❱ 2025-26 U-M Men's Basketball Schedule Date Opponent Time (TV) Oct. 17 CINCINNATI (exh.) L, 100-98 Oct. 25 at St. John's (exh.) W, 96-94 (OT) Nov. 3 OAKLAND W, 121-78 Nov. 11 vs. Wake Forest* W, 85-84 (OT) Nov. 14 at TCU W, 67-63 Nov. 19 MIDDLE TENNESSEE 6:30 p.m. (BTN) Nov. 24 vs. San Diego State^ 10:30 p.m. (TruTV) Nov. 25 vs. Auburn^ 8:30 p.m. (TNT) Nov. 26 TBD (Championship)^ TBA Nov. 27 TBD (Consolation)^ TBA Dec. 6 RUTGERS 4 p.m. (BTN) Dec. 9 VILLANOVA 6:30 p.m. (FS1) Dec. 13 at Maryland 8 p.m. (FOX) Dec. 21 LA SALLE 4 p.m. (Peacock) Dec. 29 McNEESE 7 p.m. (BIG+) Jan. 2 USC 7 p.m. (Peacock) Jan. 6 at Penn State 7 p.m. (FS1) Jan. 10 WISCONSIN 1 or 2 p.m. (CBS) Jan. 14 at Washington 10:30 p.m. (BTN) Jan. 17 at Oregon 4 p.m. (NBC) Jan. 20 INDIANA 7 p.m. (Peacock) Jan. 23 OHIO STATE 8 p.m. (FOX) Jan. 27 NEBRASKA 7 p.m. (Peacock) Jan. 30 at Michigan State 8 p.m. (FOX) Feb. 5 PENN STATE 6:30 p.m. (FS1) Feb. 8 at Ohio State 1 p.m. (CBS) Feb. 11 at Northwestern 8:30 p.m. (BTN) Feb. 14 UCLA 1 p.m. (CBS) Feb. 17 at Purdue 6:30 p.m. (Peacock) Feb. 21 vs. Duke# 6:30 p.m. (ESPN) Feb. 24 MINNESOTA 8:30 p.m. (BTN) Feb. 27 at Illinois 8 p.m. (FOX) Mar. 5 at Iowa 8 p.m. (Peacock) Mar. 8 MICHIGAN STATE 4:30 p.m. (CBS) Mar. 10-15 Big Ten Tournament$ TBA * Wolverine-Deacon Challenge, Detroit ^ TruTV Players Era Championship, Las Vegas # Duel in The District, Washington, D.C. $ Chicago; All times Eastern Senior walk-on guard Charlie May came off the bench to score his first career points at U-M with a three-pointer and later added an assist in the 121-78 win against Oakland. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL