The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1542067
38 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2026 ❱ MICHIGAN BASKETBALL scorers with 8.8 and 7.8 point scoring averages, respectively. WOLVERINES WEIGH PRAISE WITH PERSPECTIVE U-M entered December as the No. 1 team on analytics sites such as KenPom and T-Rank, along with leading the NCAA's NET rankings, but it is not satisfied. The Wolverines have championship aspirations, and with a deep and talented roster, the group has focused on a selfless identity to get them where they want to go. "Guys sacrifice minutes and shots, so having an unselfish group is paramount for this team," graduate forward Will Tschetter said after the Dec. 9 win over Villanova. "Playing with confidence is key, but at this point it's more about staying humble and staying hungry. "Obviously, we still play with a certain swagger, knowing we're gonna have a massive target on our backs every game." Junior point guard Elliot Cadeau, who led the team with 18 points in the win over Villanova, believes the group deserves the No. 1 designation in the polls. "We feel like the No. 1 team," Cadeau said. "It's unselfishness; we're a team with absolutely no ego. I've never played on a team like that for my whole career, and I've been playing basketball for a long time." Head coach Dusty May said after the win that the biggest challenge moving forward will be keeping the outside noise in perspective and focusing on the connectivity within the building. "I've been in this situation before as an assistant," May said. "Not at this level, but I just know that the outside noise is ultimately what causes teams to crumble from within. And so, it's a fight daily because our messaging is not what the outside world is messaging and what the outside world values. Every single day, we're running into a headwind of what they're seeing and hearing. Where young people get their pleasure and their dopamine is not what's real, and it's not anyone's fault. We're all guilty of it. "But if we let that in, then we will become just like a lot of other teams. There are going to be other teams that go through tough stretches that find the other side of it and recommit to the team. As of today, we're a good basketball team if we decide [to be]. We have such great leadership in our locker room if we decide to continue to not care if we get the shine and the accolades, because we have a couple guys that deserve a lot of media attention, all the stuff that comes with it and they're not getting it. I'm getting too much of it. A few of our players are getting too much of it, but that's part of it." May wants to make sure his team stays where their feet are. A former Michigan star hammered this point home during a recent interaction. "It's a part of our daily messaging because it's everywhere," May said. "The NBA's done such a good job of marketing that it is the pinnacle on the hill. But I was with Moe Wagner [at the Ohio State game] when they were here and he said, 'Man, I feel so bad. I spent my entire junior year wanting to play in the NBA… college is so much fun. And I almost didn't enjoy what was going on at that time.' "Especially now when you can help your family and you can take care of yourself financially, these guys really need to appreciate and enjoy this as long as our guys continue to appreciate the guys in the locker room and what they're sacrificing, giving because we have a talented basketball team." — Anthony Broome Junior center Aday Mara averaged 10.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks in the Wolverines' first 10 games. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL