Eye On College Basketball — Podcast Summary

Episode: Michigan's Dusty May is focused on WINNING CHAMPIONSHIPS in 2025-2026
Date: October 9, 2025
Host: Gary Parrish
Guest: Dusty May, Head Coach, University of Michigan

Overview

In this episode, Gary Parrish interviews Michigan head coach Dusty May following his successful inaugural season, culminating in a Big Ten Tournament championship and Sweet 16 appearance. The conversation covers Michigan's approach to roster construction in the transfer portal era, fresh insights about incoming and returning players, May’s coaching philosophy, and expectations for the upcoming season, with a focus on championship aspirations.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Dusty May’s Reflections on Year One in the Big Ten

• Big Ten Intensity & Competition
  • The Big Ten proved both as talented and competitive as anticipated.
    • “It feels like we've been here much longer than one year because of all that.” (01:10–01:25, Dusty May)
• Significance of Winning the Big Ten Tournament
  • The tournament field was extremely deep.
    • “To play three Sweet 16 teams to win a championship, we'll take it.” (01:45, Dusty May)

2. Roster-Building in the Transfer Portal Era

• Landing Top Transfers, Including Yaxel Lindenberg
  • Lindenberg was prioritized due to firsthand experience coaching against him and his versatile impact on the court.
    • “His ability to get loose basketballs, to be a matchup problem one through five ... he fit us.” (02:28, Dusty May)
  • The program’s culture and last year's team chemistry helped attract transfers.
    • “When these players go into the portal, they talk to your current players.” (02:40, Dusty May)
• Changing Recruiting Strategies
  • The immediacy of portal recruiting requires decisiveness and adaptability.
    • “You have to be ready to go and you have to be decisive in your evaluation ... You have to stay flexible and liquid.” (03:27, Dusty May)
  • Retention of existing players is now paramount:
    • “Everyone’s on essentially a one-year contract. … Retention is going to be paramount going forward for us.” (03:50, Dusty May)

3. High School Recruiting vs. Transfer Portal

• Balancing Approaches
  • Michigan aims to sign “five to ten freshmen in a two-year window,” showing continued investment in high school recruiting alongside immediate-impact transfers.
    • “We want to build roster through high school players but ... our job is also to win. ... So we are going to have to plug and play with the portal every year.” (04:24, Dusty May)
  • Transfer expectations differ from freshmen; transfers seek immediate roles.

4. New Faces and On-Court Identity

• Elliot Caddo (North Carolina Transfer)
  • Praised for his competitiveness and leadership.
    • “He matches our competitive spirit as a program ... he makes his teammates better every day ... he fits us.” (05:24, Dusty May)
• Strategic Changes Offensively:
  • Athletic upgrades bring more “above the rim” action, with more lob threats leading to increased dunks and rim pressure.
    • “We've probably had more dunks in the first week of practice than we had all year last year ... Dunks aren’t just two points.” (06:56, Dusty May)

5. Accolades and Coaching Reputation

• Recognition Among Peers
  • May is considered among the best Xs & Os coaches and a likely first-time national title winner by other coaches, according to CBS Sports polling.
    • “I’m not going to lie and say it doesn’t make you feel good when your peers ... say nice things about you, but it doesn’t really matter.” (06:11, Dusty May)

6. Big Ten Pride and Championship Drought

• The Elusive National Title
  • Dusty May expresses pride in the conference and desires to end the Big Ten’s championship drought, but only if Michigan is the one to do it.
    • “If we’re not in it, I’m going to be rooting for a Big Ten team ... but hopefully it’s us.” (07:40, Dusty May)
• Big Ten Camaraderie
  • Less league-wide rooting compared to places like the SEC; relationships often define rooting interests.
    • Anecdote: May joked about texting his AD for “permission” to root for Ohio State in football.
      “I said, am I allowed to root for Ohio State for three hours?” (08:32, Dusty May)

7. Measuring Success for the Upcoming Season

• Defining Success
  • The schedule is extremely tough (“Dukes, Villanovas,” tough mid-majors).
  • The only stated goal: Win championships (Big Ten regular season, Big Ten tournament, NCAA tournament).
    • “We have championship aspirations. I’m not going to shy away from that. ... That’s it. Just win championships. We have three opportunities.” (09:18, Dusty May)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It feels like we’ve been here much longer than one year because of all that.” – Dusty May (01:15)
• “When these players go into the portal, they talk to your current players.” – Dusty May (02:40)
• “Everyone’s on essentially a one-year contract. … Retention is going to be paramount going forward for us.” – Dusty May (03:50)
• “We want to build roster through high school players but ... our job is also to win.” – Dusty May (04:24)
• “He makes his teammates better every day.” – Dusty May on Elliot Caddo (05:26)
• “Dunks aren’t just two points, in our opinion. They cause an overreaction defensively, they ignite the spirit of a building.” – Dusty May (07:00)
• “We have championship aspirations. I’m not going to shy away from that. … Just win championships.” – Dusty May (09:18)

Important Timestamps

• 01:10 – Dusty May on the difficulty of the Big Ten and tournament value
• 02:28 – Prioritizing transfer Yaxel Lindenberg
• 03:27 – Evolution of recruiting in the transfer portal era
• 04:24 – Balancing high school and portal recruiting
• 05:24 – What Elliot Caddo brings to Michigan
• 06:11 – Peer recognition for coaching
• 06:56 – Offensive changes, “above the rim” threats
• 07:40 – On Big Ten pride and national championship drought
• 08:32 – Rooting for fellow Big Ten programs
• 09:18 – Championship aspirations for 2025-26

Conclusion

Dusty May’s appearance reflects a modern, pragmatic approach to building a college basketball contender. Michigan's program is clearly focused on blending player retention, elite transfers, and high school recruiting, underpinned by a competitive, team-first identity. May doesn’t shy from the pressure of expectations, centering the conversation on one theme: winning championships amid shifting college basketball dynamics.