CHICAGO – Dusty May doesn’t shy away from Michigan basketball’s ultimate goal.
The Wolverines’ coach shouldn’t, especially after a resounding 90-77 victory over Alabama in the Midwest regional semifinal at United Center on Friday, March 27. Shortly the Sweet 16 triumph, May said he feels he has “a team that could cut down the nets on the last Monday.”
That, of course, means an NCAA championship.
Even though Michigan is the top seed in the Midwest, the Wolverines deserve credit for surpassing last season’s success and reaching the Elite Eight for the first time since 2020-21.
“We’ve really improved as a program from last year,” May said. “We were good last year. We finished second from the Big Ten and went to the Sweet 16.
“But I feel like we’re a much better team. We have a much better plan, and we have much, I guess, better feeling of what it takes to win this late in the tournament and credit our guys that they made the list.”
And give May credit for not dismissing what his team just accomplished. Yes, the Wolverines are among the favorites; considering their three decisive victories and top overall seed Duke’s two nailbiters, maybe only Arizona is a stronger contender.
But there’s something worthwhile about living in the moment and cherishing the ride. That’s what Michigan deserves after beating the Alabama.
When you consider the stakes, and that the 4-seed Crimson Tide led the nation in scoring offense (at 91.6 points per game), this victory is Michigan’s best in this NCAA Tournament.
Sure, the first two games were blowouts of Howard (a 16-seed) and Saint Louis (a feisty 9-seed). But Michigan showed its resilience after a sloppy end to the first half that sent the Wolverines to the locker room down, 49-47.
“I want to applaud our guys for the second-half effort they had, especially considering the first half,” May said. “We played well, went on a little run, and then finished just completely butchered the last two minutes of the first half.
“We were down on ourselves, and we came in and we regrouped, and our guys had a different level of focus and intensity in the second half.”
Thanks in large part to Yaxel Lendeborg’s superb game – 23 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists – the Wolverines pulled away from the 3-point bomb-squad that is Alabama basketball under coach Nate Oats.
“There’s a reason they’re a 1-seed,” Oats said. “They’re big, strong, athletic, physical. I thought our guys did a great job to be up two, did a great job closing the first half.
“But, you know, the start of that second half wasn’t what we were looking for and they kind of imposed their will on us to start the second half.”
The Wolverines certainly did, on both ends of the court. They outscored the Tide in the second half, 43-28, and at one point held Alabama scoreless for nearly three minutes. Much of that was due to Lendeborg’s inspired play.
“So it’s just like get him the ball, get out the way,” guard Nimari Burnett said. “But also be ready to crash the glass. And you know, have his back defensively as well, because he takes on defensive challenges.”
Even though four Wolverines scored in double figures, Lendeborg set the tone from the start, making four shots from the field and two from the free throw line.
In the second half, his touch fell off slightly but he kept shooting and kept up the show, flexing after one step-back 3 –maybe that was for the college fans as well as any NBA scouts (who probably don’t need much convincing of his lottery pick bona fides).
“Yeah, there’s many times where I would start off hot first half and not take many shots in a second,” he said. “I feel like this game was more so a game for me to be as aggressive as I was today, if not more aggressive. And seeing the cover that they were playing, it was drop covers. It helped me get my rhythm, helped me get my confidence.”
Could Lendeborg, with all that confidence, feel his draft stock rising with every bucket?
He smiled and laughed.
“And about the draft stock, man, I definitely did want to increase it,” he said. “It was a big-time matchup with [Labaron] Philon. You know, he’s a lottery pick, best point guard that I played against and, you know, it was definitely [a] fun matchup to be able to play.”
Soon, there will be time for more NBA draft talk. Maybe even Michigan’s next opponent. Then, perhaps, a spot in the Final Four.
But for now, in this moment, Michigan should enjoy where it is and how far its has come in just two seasons under May. Especially for someone like Burnett, a 24-year-old from Chicago on his third high-major team in his sixth and final collegiate season, finally making his first Elite Eight.
“Yeah, it means a lot,” he said quietly. “I never got to this point in my collegiate career. Even when I was at ’Bama, we lost in the Sweet 16.
“So being here in the Elite Eight in Chicago, playing with Michigan my final year is no better way to go out.”
Well, there is one better way to go out. But that’s for another day.
Contact Carlos Monarrez at cmonarrez@freepress.com and follow him on X @cmonarrez.
Read more on the Wolverines at: https://www.freep.com/sports/wolverines
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Forget NBA draft talk; Michigan basketball should savor this Elite 8
Reporting by Carlos Monarrez, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
