Dusty May isn’t the biggest fan of New Year’s resolutions. The Michigan men’s basketball coach isn’t making any this year — for himself or his team — and doesn’t even plan on staying up until midnight to watch the ball drop.
“I’m not a big New Year’s resolutions guy, just because they don’t usually work,” May said. “Several of us made sacrifices for the season (already). … I’ll probably just sit this one out.”
But whether May wishes for change or not in the upcoming calendar year, he’s getting it regardless. No. 2 Michigan’s contest with McNeese Monday night not only capped off the calendar year for the Wolverines, but also their nonconference schedule for the season. Outside of a meeting in the nation’s capital against No. 5 Duke in February, Michigan keeps its affairs within the conference until the postseason arrives.
Monday’s blowout win over the Cowboys once again provided glimpses of what Michigan is capable of doing in the Big Ten, and if enough of those signs come to fruition, it makes sense that May isn’t keen on making any changes in the new year.
Perhaps nothing is more reassuring to a program in the most physical conference in the country than a night chock-full of second-chance points. The Wolverines recorded 24 of those on 14 offensive rebounds Monday, one fewer than their opponent had defensive rebounds.
All night Michigan could afford to miss looks, because there was a good chance it wouldn’t be its only attempt of the possession. Even May, a coach with quite high standards for his roster, was satisfied with the effort on the glass.
“We challenge our guys to get at least a minimum of 40% (of possible offensive rebounds) a game, and hopefully 50, and we got 48% of our misses back,” May said. “That’s another layer of us taking the next step.”
Sure, the Wolverines’ lopsided height advantage over their mid-major opponent contributed to such a number, but with the tallest frontcourt in the nation, that isn’t an edge that vanishes in conference play. Neither is the physicality on the glass that permeates from the bigs to the guards, as demonstrated by efforts from both guards senior Roddy Gayle Jr. and freshman Trey McKenney on Monday.
The abundant opportunities Michigan had against McNeese didn’t just come from its prolific rebounding, as the Wolverines once again found themselves punishing an opponent by sharing the rock. Across looks in transition and out of set pieces, Michigan recorded 21 assists across nine players Those included dangerous looks like junior center Aday Mara’s full-court heave in transition for an immediate bucket toward the start of the second half.
The Wolverines currently sit atop the Big Ten in assists per game at 21.8, but it’s close. Purdue and Michigan State occupy the two spots directly behind Michigan, and Nebraska and Indiana lag not far behind. Proficiency in the passing game is a direct contributor to the fast-paced ball that has become May’s brand, and it’s a brand that will have to be firing on all cylinders over the next few months.
In contrast to Michigan’s fast pace Monday, the Cowboys ran quite slow themselves on offense. That was no matter for the Wolverines, however, who used the longer possessions to flaunt their interior defense hailed as the best in the country.
As it has all year, Michigan made great use of drop coverage in the paint, making the lane extremely hard to penetrate. Not only did this force a plethora of tough mid-range shots from the Cowboys, but it also led to a lot of kick-outs to the perimeter, from where McNeese finished 7-of-23.
That kind of defense on the inside has been the standard for the Wolverines through 12 games, and will especially be an issue for many Big Ten foes that make their living with a strong interior presence. May’s interior scheme will force a lot of conference opponents away from their bread and butter and out toward the 3-point line. And if Michigan catches them on an off night from beyond the arc, there’s a good chance the wins keep flowing.
The Wolverines’ win over McNeese was just another blowout on Michigan’s path of nonconference destruction, but it also left behind evidence of what this roster can do to more formidable opponents in the new year. No resolutions necessary.
