Michigan basketball 'tasted some success' in year one, but staff nowhere near satisfied: 'We're hungry'

Michigan Wolverines basketball stacked 27 victories, won the Big Ten Tournament and made a run to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in its first season under head coach Dusty May, who was hired from FAU.

While there was plenty of success, the Michigan staff is nowhere near satisfied. The Wolverine staff got right to work at the end of the season, even meeting with North Carolina point guard transfer Elliot Cadeau in Atlanta — the site of the Sweet 16 setback to Auburn — and flying to Chicago to meet with Illinois forward transfer Morez Johnson Jr. on the first full day of the offseason.

On an episode of the ‘Defend The Block’ podcast with host Brian Boesch, assistant coach Mike Boynton Jr. was asked what made last season’s group so special.

“You gotta have really good players,” the Michigan coach said. “It always starts with having good enough talent. Talent gives you a chance. 

“Now, talent isn’t the only prerequisite for success. It’s a necessity, but once you have the talent, then you have to have a good plan.

“Dusty says it all the time — and I admire this from him — no plan is perfect, and we don’t have to have a perfect plan. What we have to have is a plan that everybody is bought into. If everybody is bought into the plan, we can figure out the tweaks necessary within an imperfect plan to make sure that we have the most success possible. I think we did a good job of that this past season.”

The Wolverines had good enough plans to win a bunch of games and contend for championships, even winning one by taking care of business in three games in as many days in Indianapolis.

However, Michigan’s coaches are building, not resting on laurels.

“At the same time, we’re hungry,” Boynton continued. “We tasted some success. We thought that we left some things on the table, in all honesty, this year. And obviously, we achieved more than what most people on the outside expected, but when you have the talent and a good plan, then the guys buying in and believing in each other and you to be able to deal with some tough times and deal with success as it comes.

“I would say most people in early December, when people started to say, ‘Oh man, this Michigan team has got a chance to be good,’ that can take on a whole life of itself if you’re not careful and if you don’t have high-character people.

“So, having high-character kids and having a plan, having a coach who’s got a tremendous amount of belief in everybody within gives you a chance to have the success that you did.”

So far this offseason, Michigan has added three more freshmen and four transfers to go along with four returning players. The Wolverines’ recruiting efforts have been lauded nationally.

Having four returning players on the roster isn’t a small deal, either. Guards Nimari Burnett, Roddy Gayle Jr. and L.J. Cason and forward Will Tschetter will all play big roles.

“It’s a tremendous start,” Boynton said of those pieces. “I mean, it sounds weird to say four returners is really good, but that’s really good in 2025-26 college basketball.

“Particularly as you look back, even the returners from last year didn’t know us, we didn’t know them, so everyone was new to each other. Having those guys be able to allow our newcomers — whether it be freshmen or transfers — to know what does Dusty expect? What do practices look like? How does he want you to approach scouting? What kind of attitude does he want you to have in the weight room? Guys like Roddy and Nimari, Will and L.J. can now take the lead for guys like [freshman guards] Trey McKenney and Winters Grady, but also for guys who have been in college basketball at other programs who have done it a little bit differently.

“So, Elliot Cadeau is coming from a great program, but they may have done things a little bit differently. There may be some things that Dusty doesn’t like that he was able to do before, or vice versa — maybe some things that he’ll have some more freedom to do that maybe he felt a little bit restricted in doing before. So, having those guys be able to deliver those messages will give you a great opportunity, in terms of the fluidity to transition into competing together.”