Five takeaways from Dusty May’s sit down with The Michigan Insider

Five takeaways from Dusty May’s sit down with The Michigan Insider

Michigan men’s basketball head coach Dusty May recently sat down with Sam Webb of The Michigan Insider for an hour-long podcast discussion. You can watch the entire conversation here, but here are several takeaways from the interview.

Initial impressions of transfers

May hit the transfer portal hard this offseason, bringing in Vlad Goldin, Sam Walters, Roddy Gayle Jr., Tre Donaldson, Danny Wolf and Rubin Jones. With summer workouts underway, May has gotten a first impression of what the transfers bring to the table.

Due to injuries and other circumstances, the entire team hasn’t practiced together, so how everyone meshes remains to be seen. But May is already impressed with the group. Goldin and Gayle stand out especially, with Goldin bringing an intense work ethic and desire to win, and Gayle bringing a high talent level.

“We think Roddy’s naturally going to evolve into a main player and a guy who has a unique skill set,” May said. “Every team needs certain components and first and foremost, we believe in Roddy’s jump shot.”

As the season unfolds, how the transfers integrate on the team will come to light, but it’s already evident the talent is there.

NIL goals and fundraising

May’s NIL goal is clear: he wants to have the best in the Big Ten. But that goal is easier said than done, and May is well aware.

According to May, the key behind NIL is relationships. Between his new staff and the connections Michigan provides, the Wolverines have made significant progress this offseason.

“Are we where we want to be? No,” May said. “And when we make another big jump in that space we’re not gonna be where we want to be then because our goal is to be the best in everything we do, and our goal is to be the best NIL basketball program in the Big Ten.”

Michigan may have gotten a late start in this area, but May can see its progression and is happy with the strides. But he’s also not satisfied, and the work is far from finished.

Michigan’s cultural foundations

Following an 8-23 season where everything seemed to go awry, the culture of Michigan’s program is somewhat unclear entering this season. But the culture May is fostering in this new chapter of the Wolverines’ program is already underway. For May, setting the culture started with recruitment.

“We identify players and people we want to be around everyday; we want to work with and we think fit who we are,” May said. “And then the next step is what we sell in the recruiting process.”

That doesn’t mean feeding their egos, though. Promising each player unrealistic expectations only results in cultural struggles. Being realistic and brutally honest fosters a much stronger culture.

Beyond recruiting, the culture comes down to the environment and, according to May, from “1,000 unwritten rules.”

Michigan’s defensive identity

It’s no secret Michigan struggled on the defensive end last season. Ranking 182nd in adjusted defensive efficiency proves that much. But the Wolverines’ plans to recuperate and revitalize themselves don’t come from a major adjustment on that end of the floor. It comes from the boost on the offensive side of the ball.

“I love offense,” May said. “I want to see that scoreboard ding and ding and ding. I think that’s what people want to watch, that’s what we’ve sold. I think players want to play like that. … It’s a style that we’re committed to playing, and growing through. But we’re gonna hold them accountable defensively.”

Whether that defensive accountability translates in-game remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: Michigan is ready to have immediate offensive firepower.

Initial impressions of assistant coaching staff

When May took over, he brought in a new group of coaches for the start of this new era of Michigan basketball. Hiring Mike Boynton Jr., Akeem Miskdeen and Justin Joyner, the Wolverines have an entirely new coaching staff. All three of the new assistants bring something unique to the table.

For Boynton, he’s attacked moving from a head coaching position to an assistant coaching role. Miskdeen, having worked alongside May before, is able to look at the bigger picture and use that to continue improving. Joyner rounds out the group by serving as a valuable recruiting asset, especially on the West Coast.

“These guys are dying to get better everyday and find a better way for what they’re doing,” May said. “And they give every ounce of energy and passion to the players they work with.”

As May works to keep this team improving, he believes he has the right coaching staff to facilitate that.