The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544538
28 THE WOLVERINE ❱ MAY 2026 match nightmare for every single team that we played. And it was this year." PERFECT PIECE OF THE PUZZLE May saw in Cadeau a quintessential component of a national championship run for the Wolverines, long before it be- came reality. He wasn't unaware of the knocks on his potential point guard but listened to voices he trusted — one in particular — and valued his own eyes in seeing Cadeau perform. "I saw him play a few times," May noted, regarding the time leading up to Cadeau's transfer portal deliverance to Michigan. "We saw him play at [an NCAA play-in contest in] Dayton against San Diego State. I remember we were all watching that game. That was probably the first time I'd watched a full Carolina game that year, and I thought, 'Wow, this kid's really good.' They all played well. … We scrimmaged him his freshman year, and I don't remember him well. He didn't have a great game against us when we were at FAU. "Just always being familiar with him, and then when we did the deep dive, we thought this is someone we could really help to become better and develop." Part of that deep dive involved a con- versation with Sean May, a North Caro- lina assistant whom Dusty May knew from his days in Indiana. "We felt like we needed a pass-first quarterback on the floor at all times," May recalled. "With Elliot, once we got him, we were able to sell him [on that approach]. I coached Sean May years ago in AAU basketball. I called Sean, and he gave me all the intel and background. I said, 'Let me ask you one question. Would 17-, 18-year-old Sean May — who was a McDonald's All-American, NBA player, all of it — would he want to play with Elliot Cadeau?' He said an expli- cative, yeah, absolutely, let's go! I said, 'That's all I need to know.' "Sean is one of the smartest, best play- ers I've ever been around. I valued his opinion that much. That was the stamp on the intangibles and whether I thought we could win this [the national champi- onship] with him. On film, it was there. "[Cadeau] is a savant. He's made us better coaches, and we've helped him become a better player." May and Michigan's other coaches proved essential in making Cadeau be- lieve he could be that player. He shot Cadeau was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after turning in two gritty performances in Indianapolis. PHOTO BY ANDREW MASCHARKA/MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY