The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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42 THE WOLVERINE ❱ FEBRUARY 2026 European Championship Division B in Romania, where he averaged 21.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. His somewhat nomadic basketball career began in high school at New Jer- sey's Bergen Catholic, and relocated to Branson, Mo., for his final seasons of high school ball. He wound up at North Carolina, but two years later felt the call to the juggernaut U-M squad May was assembling in the offseason. Like so many Michigan players say, May and his staff proved key compo- nents in the recruiting process, given their honest, straightforward approach. "I got a really genuine feeling," Ca- deau said. "I know a lot of coaches aren't like that. Being with Dusty and the rest of the coaching staff, it just gave me a really genuine feeling. It felt like they weren't lying to me, and they were truthful." With May, Cadeau insisted, what you see is what you get. "He's definitely the same," the junior stressed. "The same recruiter and coach — which is rare, nowadays." The excitement began to build when Cadeau arrived last summer and started interacting with the roster May assem- bled. That's when the new arrival fully understood the potential of the team the Wolverines accumulated and began piecing together. "When I first got here in the summer, I thought we had the best roster in the country," Cadeau said. "I still think we do, and I still think we're the best team in the country, despite losing tonight. "Just seeing the front court. See- ing Aday [Mara, junior center], Morez [Johnson Jr., sophomore forward] and Yax [grad forward Yaxel Lendeborg] playing together, I thought it was crazy, different, really unique." Plenty more fell into place, as Cadeau began settling in. "I liked the coaching staff a lot," he said. "I liked the way the offense is played. I liked that they were recruit- ing a lot of unselfish players and good passers." As for the style of basketball, he couldn't have asked for more. "I think it fits me perfectly," Cadeau stressed. "I love the team around me and I love the coaching staff. And the freedom that Dusty gives me, just al- A year ago, Cadeau was in his second season at North Carolina, where he averaged 9.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game, starting all 37 games for the Tar Heels. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL