Champaign, IL —Michigan basketballfans owe a huge thank you to Mrs. May, according to coachDusty May.
In his second year leading the program, May and the No. 3-ranked Wolverines clinched the Big Ten Conference regular season title witha dominant 84-70 win over No. 11 Illinoison Friday, Feb. 27, at the State Farm Center in Champaign, Illinois.
May has helped lead Michigan's transformation from an 8-24 campaign in the 2023-24 season to a potential No. 1 seed and the regular-season conference title with an impressive 27-2 record in 2025-26.
REQUIRED READING:March Madness bracketology: NCAA Tournament last four in, first four out
May, of course, wasn't with Michigan during the 2023-24 season: He was coaching Florida Atlantic to the Final Four as a major Cinderella. The run with the Owls had every program with an opening trying to court May. However, the choice of Michigan came down to a family decision.
"Anna, my wife, is a major, major influence and probably more of an influence on my decision-making than I," May said of his decision to pick Michigan over other programs with interest. "I'm a pretty simple man. Give me a ball, a gym and some dudes that want to work, and I am happy with Michigan."
May pointed to Michigan as a place where he would want his sons to attend college, which factored into his decision — rather than seeking a team that could win a championship right away.
Talk about having the best of both worlds: With the win over Illinois, the Wolverines clinched their first Big Ten regular-season title since 2021. Now, they are locked into a No. 1 seed in the conference tournament and are likely a lock for the same in the 2026 NCAA Tournament.
"The first time we saw the team together, we felt like this was the most talented team that our staff collectively had ever been around," May said. "And some of us have been high majors, mid majors, low majors. ... We felt this team had the highest upside or most potential of any group."
Michigan showed promise in May's first year in 2024-25, finishing the season 27-10 with a loss to Auburn in the Sweet 16. The 14-6 record in conference play tied Maryland for second in the Big Ten, a sign the Wolverines were heading in the right direction.
May then went to the transfer portal to add UAB forward Yaxel Lendeborg, North Carolina guard Elliot Cadeau, Illinois forward Morez Johnson Jr. — who had 19 points and 11 rebounds against his former team on Feb. 27 — and UCLA center Aday Mara, putting together a Big Ten championship-caliber roster.
"We want to win a Big Ten regular season championship every year," May said. "... Did we envision this? What's our record, 17-1 (in Big Ten play)? Absolutely not. Because I have that much respect for the teams, coaches and talent in this league."
Elite Michigan defense beats an elite Illinois offense
According to KenPom rankings,Illinois entered Feb. 27 as the No. 1 team in the country in adjusted offensive efficiency. Meanwhile, Michigan entered with the No. 2 defense, trailing only No. 1 Duke.
Advertisement
The adage that defense wins championships won the day for the Wolverines.
"That's why they are so good," Illinois coach Brad Underwood said of Michigan taking away any potential mismatches Illinois has used against other opponents this season.
"They're as good a basketball team as I've seen in my nine years in this league," Underwood added.
Illinois' adjusted offensive efficiency (or points per 100 possessions) sat at 132.4 entering play on Friday. The Fighting Illini entered averaging 85.1 points per game, which ranked 22nd in the nation. They also tied for sixth in 3-point baskets made per game.
However, the Wolverines' defense limited Illinois to 70 points — its lowest total in a loss since Nov. 28 vs. UConn — 41.3% shooting from the field and 9-of-29 shooting from 3-point range.
"They're really good at punishing a matchup," May said of the Illinois offense. "Because of our lineup versatility, I don't think they did it as well as they usually do."
While Illinois freshman Keaton Wagler finished with a game-high 23 points, including 17 points in the second half, he shot just 7-for-17 from the field and had four turnovers. Lendeborg took the responsibility of not only guarding Wagler, but also guarding him for the full 94-feet, putting pressure on him as soon as he received the inbounds pass.
"Yax was up to the challenge," May said. "He loves guarding point guards. And then when he switches, you have a big body that played (center) in the American Conference, and played it pretty well. So it's not as easy to get the matchup advantages they are hunting against our team, because we can change what we do."
Veteran leftovers carry team to new era
Nimari Burnett, Will Tschetter and Harrison Hochberg are three members of the Wolverines who were around for the 2023-24 team that finished 3-17 in conference play, good for dead last in the Big Ten standings.
However, each of them has stuck around with the program, with Burnett starting all 29 games this season and Tschetter appearing in all 29 games. Instead of showing them the door when he took over the program, May instead kept the three to build the culture in Ann Arbor for the team that won the conference this season.
"We kept those guys because we believe in who they are as people, first and foremost," May said. "That was a tough season for Michigan basketball. There were a handful of guys we couldn't recruit for various reasons and then there were a handful we thought might fit our culture as far as work ethic.
"Nimari and Will were both guys who dove in from Day 1, and they wanted Michigan to be back in this position. It was that simple."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:How Dusty May led Michigan to Big Ten regular season title in Year 2
