Dusty May calls Michigan basketball ‘most talented’ team after outright Big Ten Title win vs. Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – No. 3-ranked Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May praised his players for their performance in a hostile environment and reflected on how the group came together as a title contender, capturing the school’s 16th Big Ten regular-season championship with an 84-70 victory over Illinois.

May said the staff believed the roster had exceptional upside early and credited scouting and preparation for the win.

“I want to give our guys a lot of credit,” May said. “They came in an extremely hostile environment against a very very, very talented basketball team that’s well coached. We got better by scouting, preparing for them by watching them this year. That’s a good group, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we continue to play well if we didn’t see them one or two more times down the line.”

Following Friday’s (Feb. 27) victory, the Wolverines have won their 16th conference title and their first since the Juwan Howard-led 2021 team while improving to 27-2, 17-1 Big Ten.

The Wolverines have now won 17 of 18 Big Ten games with 15 of those coming by way of double-digits, including road victories against Illinois, Purdue, and Michigan State, who Michigan will play on Senior Day, on March 8.

May said he is pretty optimistic about his team.

“I mean, I’m pretty optimistic as a day‑to‑day as is. Um, but this group was different. We felt when we met as a group, the first time we saw the team together, um, we felt like this was the most talented team that our staff collectively had ever been around,” May said.

May is building a legacy, having won the Big Ten Tournament and the regular-season championship in his first two seasons with the basketball program.

The victory, combined with the conference’s expanded tournament format, gives the Wolverines a triple-bye into the quarterfinals beginning Friday, March 13.

“Obviously, when you win a regular season championship in this league in these environments against the the story programs, um, you need a you need a lot of everything. And our young guys have grown up. Um, our older guys have been great leaders and mentors, and they’ve set an example of putting the team first every single day, and that’s ultimately why we’re still here, uh, connected as a group with especially factoring our early season early early season success,” May said.

Morez Johnson Jr. returned to his old stomping grounds inside the State Farm Center to drop 19 points, while grabbing 11 rebounds, one assist, and one steal in the victory.

He spent his freshman year with the Fighting Illini before joining Michigan for his sophomore season in Ann Arbor.

“Incredibly impressed. Morez from the jump ball was a force. I thought his defense was equally impressive as his offense. Be able to guard bigs guard smalls. I mean, he’s such a competitor. Um, his day‑to‑day, his minute‑by‑minute is as impressive as any player I’ve ever been around,” May said.

Big man Aday Mara followed suit, helping the men in maize with 19 points while grabbing five rebounds and two assists.

Yaxel Lendeborg chipped in with 16 points, seven rebounds, and four assists.

“I thought our front line, especially in the second half, elevated their play and had a much greater presence at the rim. Um, I thought we changed ends well, and I thought once we were able to at least hold our own on the defensive glass, then we would be able to get out and score quickly in transition, and uh, credit our guys. I thought we came up with a lot of tough rebounds that Illinois typically gets,” May said.

The program last claimed an outright title in 2014, when Nik Stauskas led the Wolverines to a 15-3 league mark and clinched the championship with an 84-53 victory at Illinois on March 4.

The Big Ten title is Michigan’s 16th regular-season championship and brings the program’s overall Big Ten titles to 20, including four Big Ten Tournament crowns.

Michigan’s recent tournament title came in 2025 in Indianapolis.

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The victory on Friday snapped a nine-game losing streak against Illinois, their first since 2019.

“So, you know, they’re really, really good at punishing a matchup. And because of our lineup’s versatility, I don’t think they did it as well as they typically do. And Yaxel was a big part of that,” May said.

Stud poing guard L.J. Cason limped off the court in the first half with a leg injury under his own power, but postgame, on his Instagram stories, he held the Big Ten regular-season championship next to Elliot Cadeau. Cason came back in the second half, but May felt like it wasn’t worth it to continue playing him in Friday’s matchup.

“No, no update. I know I asked him five or six times, are you sure? You know, because I just don’t like to see guys play on a wobbly wheel. Um, he wanted to go, came in, and made an impact in the second half. Um, but yeah, there was a point where it just wasn’t worth it, regardless of the outcome, to play the way he was feeling. So I don’t I don’t have any I don’t have any medical updates as far as you know where it is at this moment,” May said.

May spoke about Mara’s performance and his presence in the locker room.

“Yeah, he’s just such a great teammate in person. Um, he’s been his to see his growth, as far as confidence has been awesome. Um, he dominated around the rim in the second half. He got tough. He went after and got the tough rebounds. Um, he finished through contact. He finished in traffic in his first post-touch of the second half. He tried to draw a foul instead of going strong, and what an adjustment by him to play with a lot more force at the rim,” May said.

Will Tschetter and Nimari Burnett were holdovers from last year, and May explained why he decided to keep them on the 2025-26 team.

“We kept those guys because we believed in who they are as people first and foremost, they dove in from day one, and they wanted Michigan to be back in this position,” May said.

Michigan will take on Iowa on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.