May-hem in March for Michigan
Justin Loretz
Sports Editor
For 37 years, the rafters of the Crisler Center have held a lonely banner from the days of Michigan’s first and only national title, a fading relic of the Steve Fisher era after their victory against Seton Hall. That victory back in 1989 was the stuff of legend: an interim coach taking the reins just days before the tournament, Glen Rice’s record-shattering scoring performance, and Rumeal Robinson’s icy veins at the free-throw line after the infamous phantom foul to secure an 80-79 overtime win against the Seton Hall powerhouse. For decades, that banner stood as the sole survivor of the program’s highest peak, watching over “Fab Five” heartbreaks and multiple runner-up finishes that teased a return to glory but never delivered.
After one of their biggest disappointments in a loss to Villanova to lose the 2018 championship, the program came crashing down. The Michigan brand hit their real local minimum before finally going out to hire Dusty May. It was not long before the “May-hem” struck, and just two years later, it has already eclipsed its peak, after he delivered a school-record 37 win season and the first national title for the Big Ten conference since 2000. May’s strategy was a masterclass in modern roster construction. Eschewing the traditional “slow build,” he utilized the transfer portal as a high-speed acquisition tool, most notably snagging the two catalysts of this championship run: Elliot Cadeau from UNC and Yaxel Lendeborg from UAB.
While the championship game was a gritty defensive grind, Michigan’s path to Indianapolis was defined by high-octane offensive production. The Wolverines became the first team in NCAA history to score 90+ points in five games during a single tournament run:
• Round of 64: 101-80 vs. Howard
• Round of 32: 95-72 vs. Saint Louis
• Sweet 16: 90-77 vs. Alabama
• Elite Eight: 95-62 vs. Tennessee
• Final Four: 91-73 vs. Arizona
This was not just “run and gun” basketball; it was a diversified offensive portfolio. Michigan led the nation in field goal percentage (.507) by leveraging a “five-out” system that forced traditional giants like Tennessee and Arizona into defensive bankruptcy.
Yaxel Lendeborg would take home the Big Ten Player of The Year honors, but would suffer an injury that slowed his successes in the final rounds of the tournament. He grinded through it still, but it would be Elliot Cadeau who picked up the slack to become the Most Outstanding Player of this year’s tournament. The man who arrived in Ann Arbor with questions about his jump shot—silenced every critic. After a 10-assist masterclass in the semifinal against Arizona, Cadeau took over the scoring duties in the final. His three-pointer with 13 minutes remaining gave Michigan an 11-point cushion, and somehow it felt like the dagger. Cadeau finished the night with a game-high 19 points and 8-of-9 shooting from the free-throw line.
The narrative of the final, however, was Michigan’s ability to pivot. Against a UConn team seeking their own historic status, hoping to become the third program to ever win three titles in four years, alongside Kentucky (1948-1949, 1951) and UCLA (1967-1973, 1975). Michigan’s defense held the Huskies to a season-low field goal percentage. Despite the aforementioned injury to Yaxel Lendeborg, the Wolverines’ frontcourt neutralized UConn’s interior advantage, proving the age old adage that, while offense sells tickets, “defense wins championships.”
The 2026 Michigan run offers a clear lesson in the modern landscape of college basketball: adaptability outdoes sustainability. By embracing the portal, modern analytics, and a relentless pace of play, Dusty May took a storied but struggling franchise and restored its market dominance in just two years.
The drought is over. The “Leaders and Best” are, once again, at last, indisputably, the best.
Contact Justin at loretzju@shu.edu