Dusty May didn't hold back while talking about Michigan State on Monday, and also praised Yaxel Lendeborg in a way you just don't hear very often.
Earlier this week, Dusty May took to the podium for his scheduled Monday morning availability with the media and touched on several interesting notes. He talked about the transfer portal, his own roster construction, dirty plays at Michigan State and standout Yaxel Lendeborg. No matter what the topic, May nailed it and left everyone with plenty to talk about.
May doesn’t pretend college basketball is what it was even five or seven years ago. In fact, he embraces the change — even when it means letting go of control.
From day one in Ann Arbor, May said the directive has been simple: win now, while still preparing players for whatever comes next. That philosophy explains Michigan’s roster construction, its approach to the transfer portal, and the way the program handles departures.
“I think everyone would rather us just come in and sign a bunch of freshmen and lose and try to grow it organically,” May said. “But our job from day one was to win. And so we brought in a balanced class.”
That balance extends beyond recruiting rankings. May’s own path — from a Division II athlete to a student manager to a young coach — shapes how he views player movement today. For him, it’s about preparation, not permanence.
“We want to prepare these guys for what’s next,” May said. “We want them to stay as long as they’re committed to doing it together and representing Michigan. But if they choose something different, then we’re not mad at them.”
That mindset applies even to former Wolverines now wearing different uniforms. May still watches, still cheers, and still keeps in touch.
“They were for us. We were for them. We’re still in each other’s lives,” he said. “It just wasn’t our situation at that time, and we’re okay with it.”
In a Big Ten where margins are razor-thin, May understands how quickly narratives can flip. One bounce, one shot, one late-game execution can redefine an entire season. That almost happened when Michigan played Penn State in Happy Valley earlier this year. With the Nittany Lions up next on Thursday, May is not taking the matchup lightly.
“If [Freddie] Dilione hits that shot against us, our season may look a little bit different,” he said. “You just keep getting to the next thing.”
That reality has been evident across the league, from Minnesota’s near-misses to Rutgers’ steady improvement. May stressed that no one is sneaking through the Big Ten anymore.
“Every team in our league has really good players,” he said. “If you think you can take a night off, you’re going to be disappointed.”
May’s respect for competitiveness also showed up when asked about physical and potentially dangerous plays that took place against Michigan State in East Lansing. While he declined to escalate publicly, he made it clear he values how his team handled those moments.
“I am incredibly proud of our guys for their self-control, their restraint, and their impulse control,” he said. “I’ll leave it at that.”
One of the players who had to use all of those qualities after being purposely tripped during an aggressive closeout, was Yaxel Lendeborg. He's been at the center of Michigan’s success and embodies everything May wants his program to be about. Despite limited designed touches, the forward continues to dominate within the flow.
“We ran probably one or two plays for him, and he gets 26 and 12,” May said. “There aren’t a lot of guys like that.”
What stands out most, though, isn’t the production. It’s the mentality.
“He doesn’t act like a mercenary,” May said. “He acts like he’s completely embedded in our program, our culture, and winning for others.”
For May, that combination — humility, adaptability, and belief in collective success — is what gives Michigan its edge, no matter how much the sport continues to change.