Dusty May discusses Michigan roster building: 'Not going to be a quick fix, but we could win big this year'

Michigan Wolverines basketball head coach Dusty May was hired to turn the program around after one of its worst seasons in history, with the Maize and Blue going 8-24 under the now-fired Juwan Howard. May has rebuilt an organization before, one that was perpetually down in Florida Atlantic. He ripped off six consecutive winning seasons in Boca Raton after the program only had five in its history before he arrived.

“You take a deep breath, and you figure out the best way to attack it,” May said on The L.A.B. podcast with host Jake Butt presented by the Champions Circle Collective.

May explained that he filled 10 open scholarships with solid enough players to post a 17-16 record, with one of the main goals being to “earn credibility with recruits” going forward.

“We pieced together a good, solid team because we wanted to earn some respect in Year 1,” May explained.

“From there, it was a steady incline of daily improvement, and then we were on the verge a couple years ago and couldn’t get over the hump. Then obviously, last year we found our stride.”

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The Owls sure did, winning a program-record 35 games and reaching the Final Four in 2023, before notching 25 victories and earning another NCAA Tournament berth this past season, making May one of the hottest names this coaching cycle.

The turnaround at Michigan will start with people, May said. The coach is building his staff and also assessing the roster, which includes only three players at the moment in senior guard Jace Howard, graduate guard Nimari Burnett and redshirt junior forward Will Tschetter. Others are in the transfer portal and might have the option to return.

“It’s simply finding the right people and staff and personnel,” the Michigan coach stated. “It always starts with the right people, and the characteristics align with what we’re going to be about.

“And it’s difficult with the transfer portal and even with the players here, a lot of times the coach comes in and he’s extremely aggressive to try to keep them and this and that, or they’re extremely aggressive in pushing them out the door. It’s usually one way or the other.

“I’ve taken a different approach, where I’ll support you guys, and let’s just really get to know each other. You try to evaluate if I’m the right coach and we’ll be the right coaching staff for you, and then I’m evaluating if you’re the right player that I want to be a part of the program. And let’s give each other some time and just see where that ends up. So there could be some guys come back, they could all leave. I don’t know right now, because there’s really no point of asking those pointed questions this early.

“I’m watching film from last year, I’m still evaluating their games. They’re still watching our games from different parts of the season. So I think that’s the healthiest way, versus just going in and being too aggressive one way or the other. 

“But with the transfer portal, it’s tough to do all the homework necessary to find the right people, so it’s tough because you’ve gotta get inside their chest and find out what’s inside their heart. You gotta find out who influences their thoughts on a daily basis and try to make the best decision. In my opinion — and [former Michigan] Coach [John] Beilein proved this — there’s not much separation between those guys [ranked] 30 to 300. It usually comes down to who’s patient, who believes in development, who’s about the team. Those intangibles are never going to change.”

May added that former Michigan football coach Bo Schembechler‘s ‘the team, the team, the team’ speech “still resonates with successful organizations today.”

The 47-year-old was asked what has stood out from watching Michigan’s film from the 2023-24 season, noting that chemistry was lacking.

“Well, obviously, when you have a down year — and Coach Howard would say the same thing — we have to get better in a lot of areas,” May began. “Both sides of the ball, we need to get better.

“We need to find pieces that fit together, a little bit better. It didn’t look like a group that really had great connection as a unit. And we coaches probably get a little bit too much credit or too much blame for this component. And players now, usually the successful teams, the players enjoy playing with each other.

“And as coaches, that’s the environment and culture we have to create and bring in the right people to buy into that. But finding a group that appreciates each other’s strengths and weaknesses, they respect each other’s commitment to the team and sacrificing for the team.

“And then it still goes back to trust, because any time trust is broken, it takes a long time to get it back. That’s why the daily messaging, us as a staff walking the walk and living those values every single day is paramount to success.”

Under Howard, Michigan learned that missing on a few top targets from the high school ranks or transfer portal could make a big negative impact on the team’s outlook. But at the same time, landing the right players could help the Wolverines be competitive this coming season.

“So it’s not going to be a quick fix, but we could win big this year,” May continued. “If we get the right people, we can.

“But as far as fixing any issue or any team, it’s a daily approach, it’s a minute-by-minute approach, it’s an investment in the people every single day, and then you never know. You plant the bamboo, and you never know when it’s going to sprout, but you know it’s going to.”