WASHINGTON – No. 1-ranked Michigan Wolverines (25-2) head coach Dusty May, Yaxel Lendeborg, and Morez Johnson Jr. spoke postgame following their 68-63 loss to No. 3-ranked Duke in Washington, D.C.
May congratulated Duke on Saturday (Feb. 21) for a hard-fought win that ended Michigan’s 11-game winning streak.
Recommended Videos
“When you schedule a game like this, you don’t know what it’s going to look like after the fact and even the preparation leading up to it,” May said. “We know more about our team now. We’ll be better because of this game.”
May acknowledged that rebounding was a key issue for Michigan, as they were outrebounded 41-28 in the loss.
“We didn’t rebound the way we needed to. We made some timely errors, and when you’re playing someone like Duke, they make you pay for every mistake, and they did that tonight.”
Despite the loss, May praised his team’s effort.
“I thought we fought, we competed, we overcame some adversity, we stayed together. There are several learning lessons that we’ll have from this film and from this game.”
When asked about what frustrated Michigan’s offense the most, May pointed to Duke’s physical defense and length.
“Their wallups were as good as we’ve seen this year. When you catch it on the interior, you’re getting some force. They’re going to punch you with their chest,” May said.
May also noted that offensive rhythm was disrupted as Michigan played some players longer than usual due to missing minutes in the first half. “I don’t know if that was wise or not, but we felt like we needed to let them go.”
Lendeborg scored 17 points in the first half but finished with 21, including five in the second half.
He said the same looks were available in the second half, but the shots just weren’t falling.
“Typically, I try to set the tone early to make it easier for the other guys in the second half,” Lendeborg said.
Comparing Duke’s size and athleticism to Big Ten teams, Lendeborg said, “This team defensively is a lot better than anybody else in the Big Ten so far, in my opinion. They have a lot of athletes, really good defenders who know how to be in the gaps and play off each other.”
Johnson Jr. compared the game and atmosphere to the Michigan State game a few weeks ago, as Duke was very physical with the Wolverines.
He also weighed in on rebounding struggles, citing foul trouble for Aday Mara and the challenge of matching Duke’s physicality.
Johnson Jr. said, “Missing him on the floor was a really big hit on us.”
“Aday draws so much attention,” Lendeborg said. It makes it so much easier for me, Morez, and Roddy Gayle Jr. to go in and get a rebound, so missing him on the floor was a really big hit for us.”
Reflecting on the experience, Lendeborg said the intense environment and physicality were similar to tough Big Ten games and valuable preparation for potential tournament play.
“This experience brought us together a lot more,” Lendeborg said. “It’s a great learning process. We have hopes to getting to the national championship game, and so the environment is going to be a lot like this.”
Johnson Jr. emphasized the importance of learning from the loss and refocusing on the Big Ten season.
“Every one of our remaining games is a Big Ten championship caliber game. Whether we won or lost, it’s about what we learn and turning the page,” Johnson Jr. said.
Johnson Jr. shared their thoughts on defending Cam Boozer (18 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists) during the game.
“I think it’s kind of similar to guarding a lot of talented players with the physicality and getting to his spots,” Johnson Jr. said. “I think it was just us locking in on our game plan, our defensive game plan.”
Lendeborg addressed the surprising challenge Michigan faced, being outscored by 10 points in the paint by Duke.
“I would say it was shocking,” Lendeborg said. “There were times on the floor we were talking to each other like, you know, we can’t allow no more twos. That’s the first time I’ve ever heard anybody in our circle say that.”
He expressed frustration despite feeling the team played good defense.
“They were just making tough layups, tough shots. There were times where they would get easier baskets, which was even more frustrating,” Lendeborg said.
Lendeborg emphasized the need for better defensive connection.
“We just have to be a lot more connected with our switching and our high hands, just making them to our chest,” Lendeborg said.
He credited Duke for their execution but acknowledged Michigan has “a lot to fix pretty much.”
May also spoke about the challenge of Duke’s ability to get their own rebounds and make tough shots.
“They just have a really good feel for knowing where the miss is coming off and getting there quicker,” May said.
May addressed the moments when Boozer picked up his fourth foul late in the game and how the team responded.
“Well, it’s not as if they don’t have really good players coming in,” May said. “I thought Nikolas Khamenia—his energy and effort, his individual defense—he had nine rebounds, three offensive,” May said.
May noted that Michigan was positioned to get some offensive rebounds, but Duke players “wanted it a little bit more or had a little bit better beat on the ball.”
He acknowledged the challenge of capitalizing on Boozer’s absence.
“Obviously, when Boozer goes out, you’ve got to figure out a way to capitalize, and we weren’t able to do that for a number of reasons,” May said.
May credited Duke’s Caleb Foster for stepping up with a big shot and mentioned another player, number 21 (Patrick Ngongba II), whose name he hesitated to say, describing him as a low-post presence.
“We had some timely errors defensively that gave them easy baskets where you wish you’d make them work a little bit harder when you’re in the middle of a slugfest rock fight like we were in,” May said.
Regarding individual performances, May praised Elliot Cadeau‘s effort despite shots not falling.
“He generated some really good looks. Everyone on our roster could have done better, including me,” May said.
May concluded by acknowledging the frustration but focusing on growth.
“We’re going to fix a lot. It’s not about defining ourselves on a few plays that just happen. We have to figure out how to win when things don’t go our way,” May said.