CHICAGO – No. 1-seeded Michigan Wolverines coach Dusty May expressed excitement about competing in the Sweet 16 and reflected on building a high-level program in an increasingly expensive college basketball landscape.
NIL
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“We’re excited to be back in Chicago with a chance to compete and continue on with our season. It’s an honor to compete against a program like Alabama and the other two teams here,” May said during a media availability.
Regarding the financial sustainability of elite programs, May acknowledged the rising costs but highlighted Michigan’s advantages.
“Each school is in a different situation based on their alumni, how marketable their athletes are, and the attention on their program. Fortunately, we have a lot of those things working in our advantage,” May said.
He stressed careful spending and deliberate roster construction as key to long-term success.
May admitted he mostly follows football when it comes to NIL numbers, noting the figures announced for revenue sharing but acknowledging that they don’t seem like a strict cap.
He emphasized that the challenges surrounding NIL stem from long-term administrative and coaching decisions.
“Ultimately, it’s our fault, we’ve been making these decisions on such an obtuse level for so long that now it’s blown up in our face,” May said.
May stressed the current responsibility: fixing the system to make it fair and equitable for all athletes, rather than focusing solely on the numbers themselves.
Aday Mara/ Mick Cronin
May discussed the development of players like Aday Mara under UCLA head coach Mick Cronin and emphasized the collective effort behind their growth.
“Every past coach and teacher has a hand in these guys’ development,” May said. “Success has many fathers, and failure is an orphan. We’re very proud of the progress that Aday continues to make, and I’d like to thank all of their past coaches for the work they’ve done up to this point. It takes a village and a team effort to help these guys be their best.”
May emphasized that the players themselves deserve the bulk of the credit for their improvement.
“We choose to give our players the majority of the credit for their development. We think we do a really good job of helping them, guiding and assisting them. But usually, if a guy gets better, he deserves 90 to 95% of it, and we take a little of that just because that’s what we get paid to do,” May said.
Michigan
May explained why he chose the Wolverines over so-called “blue blood” programs.
“First and foremost, my wife has always been a big fan of Ann Arbor,” May said. “The quality of life, everything that goes with the University of Michigan, and my family have always been a very important part of any decision I’ve made, especially when you drag them around chasing this dream.”
May said the move reflected both personal and professional priorities.
“It’s the opportunity to attract the best high-achieving people who want to be around the brightest students, the best professors, and a connected alumni base,” May said.
He also praised Michigan’s unique blend of academics and athletics.
“We feel we have the academic profile of Stanford with the passion of SEC football for our athletic department as a whole. Usually, those two things aren’t merged, and we’re very proud that they are in great alignment at Michigan,” May said.
Outside noise
May said his team is doing a solid job tuning out outside distractions as it approaches the Sweet 16, and potentially the Elite Eight.
Asked what keeps him awake at night following a string of tournament wins in Las Vegas during the early part of the season, May said it’s the “outside noise,” the chatter, speculation, and social media activity surrounding the team.
“Our guys do a very good job deciphering what’s important and what’s not,” May said. “These guys, I would say 99% of them are on social media. They hear things… we try to be brutally honest with our guys and never violate their trust.”
May added that the players are actively involved in filtering out distractions, ensuring they remain focused on game preparation.
“It’s never easy, but we’re all battling the same thing overall; we’re in a very good spot mentally,” May said.
Superstitions
May said his team considered switching lockers and changing routines to alter their luck after facing the same situation weeks prior against Purdue in the Big Ten Tournament championship game inside the United Center, but he doesn’t give much weight to such rituals.
“I don’t put as much stock into this physical location as I do our mindset,” May said, noting that mental preparation matters far more than superstition.
He recounted a story from the Big Ten tournament involving NBA coach Doc Rivers and a ceiling-tile ritual, but emphasized that he personally doesn’t rely on any rituals.
May even shared a humorous anecdote about wearing his favorite pair of Air Jordans for a game: after losing the first time he wore them, he brought them out again for a later game and won.
“I don’t personally have any superstitions. Literally zero,” May said. “It’s get up and do the best you can that day.”
Yaxel Lendeborg snubbed by Bama
Yaxel Lendeborg said he was reportedly disappointed that Alabama didn’t recruit him out of UAB and that he could have some extra juice heading into the Sweet 16 matchup.
According to May, unbeknownst to Lendeborg, Alabama did try to recruit him.
“Whatever irritates him, I’m going to ride with that and support him,” May said, noting that he and Alabama coach Nate Oats, who are friends, discussed the situation. May added, “Don’t tell Yax, but they did try to recruit him.”
May confirmed that Michigan was late to the transfer portal process for Lendeborg, reaching out only after his previous season ended.
He explained that Yaxel had even been disappointed that no Michigan staff had contacted him sooner.
May spoke directly with Lendeborg’s mentor, emphasizing that the team wasn’t trying to disrupt anyone’s season and highlighting the trust Yaxel places in a former coach of May’s.
He added that Yaxel had explored opportunities for a guaranteed first-round position but couldn’t secure one. “It then made sense for him to come and try to improve and develop and be on this big stage,” May said, framing the transfer as a mutually beneficial opportunity.
3 big lineup
May said Michigan’s current strategy of starting three very tall players, including Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., and Mara, wasn’t part of the original plan.
The team initially aimed to replace two bigs, but when Mara, Lendeborg, and Johnson Jr. all joined, the staff explored the possibility of a “tall lineup.”
“Several days this summer, I thought there’s a high probability this isn’t going to work,” May said.
Early in the season, it showed on the court, but players adapted.
“I give our guys a lot of credit. They’ve done a nice job solving problems, putting the puzzle pieces together, and respecting each other’s talents,” May said.
May highlighted that balancing three bigs typically creates spacing issues, but the team’s collaboration and adjustments have made the approach successful.