NEXT UP: EXTENDED TRIPS BRING OUT THE BEST IN MICHIGAN BASKETBALL: “WE ARE ROAD WARRIORS”
The Wolverines have had success at home, on the road and at neutral sites. They’ve won in several different states and time zones. They’ve gotten the job done in different forms and fashions.
And they’ve thrived during extended road trips, with a perfect 9-0 mark in games where they’ve played multiple times in the same location over the span of a few days.
Michigan will look to keep that streak going this week when it travels to Atlanta, where it will face top-seeded Auburn in the Sweet 16 on Friday.
“I believe there’s something to the bond,” coach Dusty May said.
During May’s six-year tenure at Florida Atlantic, he felt his teams got better and better the more his players spent quality time together when on the road. He sees the same thing happening with this Michigan team.
Given the number of resources at a Power Four program like Michigan compared to a mid-major school like FAU, May noted there is one downside when it comes to travel. With the Wolverines, May and his players can fly out right after a road game. There’s no sitting around in an airport terminal and waiting for a flight or long bus rides to get to where they need to go like his FAU teams did.
Still, that hasn’t hampered the Wolverines when it comes to developing and strengthening their relationships.
“Anytime we’ve had a chance for our guys to spend time together, you can see the connection and bond improve,” May said. “It’s a credit to them because they enjoy each other’s company, and they have that tribe mindset when they’re together.”
That’s shown all season long, from Michigan’s trip to Florida during the week of Thanksgiving to its California voyage after the new year.
The Wolverines beat Virginia Tech and Xavier on back-to-back days to bring home the Fort Myers Tip-Off championship. They were one of only two Big Ten teams — along with Minnesota — to pull off the Los Angeles sweep at USC and UCLA in back-to-back games.
“We double down, and we really lean on each other when we’re away,” guard L.J. Cason said. “To be honest, I think we’re better away. We’re road warriors. I feel like every time we’re on the road we have a good chance to win.”
Most recently, Michigan ripped off five wins in nine days, with its run to the Big Ten tournament title and the second week of the NCAA Tournament
The Wolverines captured the conference tournament title by beating Purdue, Maryland and Wisconsin in consecutive days at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. They followed that up with wins over UC San Diego and Texas A&M at Ball Arena in Denver in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
They won convincingly and in comeback fashion. They prevailed in a pair of games that were decided on the final possession. They came out on top in contests where they scored as few as 59 points and as much as 91 points.
“It shows the value of the team and different assets that we have, different versatility. When a group is connected, they can figure out different ways to win,” guard Nimari Burnett said. “We have such a unique team with unique players that can do multiple things. That’s what we’ve seen.”
Added guard Roddy Gayle Jr.: “We’re clicking at the right time. … We have a great team chemistry right now.”
As Michigan’s bond keep growing, the Wolverines hope to keep showing what their capable of with a deep March Madness run.
“Ever since Day 1, we’ve been a tight-knit locker room, maybe almost to the point where we need a little bit more clashing heads at times,” forward Will Tschetter said. “We all appreciate one another and what we bring to this team. It’s been a real special group to be around.”
Balancing act
With the transfer portal for college basketball open, May said his staff will have their eye on potential roster additions as Michigan’s quest to the Final Four continues.
“We have two staffers that are working almost exclusively on Auburn. And then we’ll have a couple more that are splitting time between the next opponents and fielding calls and putting out feelers because you don’t know what your roster is going to look like until the season is over,” May said Monday on the “Inside Michigan Basketball” radio show.
We have to be on our toes and fielding calls and taking in information and being ready to pounce. … Next year’s success will be determined a lot on how this goes the next month.”
May added the timing of the portal — its 30-day window started Monday — is a “handicap” for teams that are surviving and advancing in the postseason, just like in football. The Wolverines already lost one player to the portal, with freshman guard Justin Pippen entering his name on the first day.
Regardless, May said he’d much rather be playing at this time of the year than turning his full attention to portal recruiting.
“If you start adding players to your roster now, what does that do to the young guys who are working hard?” he said. “It’s not healthy for your team now for you to be recruiting next year when you don’t know what you really need. You’re just basically stockpiling guys. It’s tough.”
