Dusty May bartered with Wisconsin fans to cheer for Michigan vs. Texas A&M

In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May was caught off-guard by the neutral fans cheering more for UC San Diego than for the Wolverines. So, looking to avoid that in the second round, May went to barter with Wisconsin fans.

Michigan had a vital game against Texas A&M in the second round. So, in an act of Big Ten solidarity, May asked Wisconsin fans to cheer for Michigan. In exchange, he’d make sure Michigan fans rooted for the Badgers in the following game.

“I felt UCSD was very under-seeded,” Dusty May said. “I mean, whatever, I thought A&M and us were two heavyweights that it was going to be a prize fight. I actually, to all the Wisconsin fans behind our bench before the game, I bartered with them and said: I promise you that if cheer for us and give us a little jolt, we’ll rally the troops across the way and be Badger fans in Game 2.”

The Big Ten and SEC both consider themselves to be the top conferences in college basketball. The SEC, in particular, got 14 teams in this year’s NCAA Tournament. In many ways, it was a sign of respect for how deep the talent is in that conference. With that, May knows that the Big Ten having good showings on this national stage is vital to the perception of the conference.

“And we want the Big Ten to do well. I think we’re 10-0 right now, and all the coaches and players in our league knew that this was a capability because we did it every night. We battled tooth and nail — there’s no nights off,” May said. “The teams that are in the tournament are just the ones that closed games a little bit better than the ones that aren’t playing still.”

Michigan ended up taking down Texas A&M by a score of 91-79. That win pushed the Wolverines into the Sweet Sixteen in the program’s first season under Dusty May. There, they’re going to take on another SEC school, Auburn, who entered this year’s tournament as a one-seed.

Unfortunately for Wisconsin, any Michigan fan support the Badgers received wasn’t enough. Wisconsin fell just short in a comeback attempt against BYU out of the Big 12, another conference known for its basketball success. With that, there are now six Big Ten teams remaining and six SEC teams remaining in the NCAA Tournament with the second round not yet completed.