Las Vegas — During Michigan basketball’s media day in late September, coach Dusty May was asked what he thought this team’s identity could be this season.
Given the group’s size, talent and athleticism, May didn’t hesitate when he said he wanted the Wolverines to be one of the best defensive teams in the country.
Less than a month into the 2025-26 campaign, they’re certainly on track and looked the part in Monday’s 94-54 romp over San Diego State in their Players Era tournament opener at Michelob Ultra Arena.
When the dust settled on the 40-minute demolition, the numbers were astounding. The Aztecs scored on 23 of their 74 possessions, averaging a meager 0.730 points per possession. They finished with as many turnovers (17) as field goals made. They shot 27.4% from the field, the worst mark in coach Brian Dutcher’s nine seasons.
On top of that, Michigan blocked five shots and had 11 steals while holding San Diego State to three baskets at the rim.
“When you get in the paint and Aday (Mara) swats a few of them, and Rez (Morez Johnson Jr.) comes out of nowhere to go vertical and block the shot, the next one you’re kind of looking around,” May said. “I think the perimeter guys have done a nice job of scrambling, flying around and just making smart basketball plays on the fly and covering for each other.
“But it starts with, if you don’t give up easy baskets at the rim and then you take away catch-and-shoot 3s, you’re probably going to be a good defensive team assuming you can rebound it. I thought (Monday) we were as physical as we’ve been on the glass. I thought our perimeter guys were as quick as we’ve been to the long, loose rebounds. It’s a testament to those guys in practice making a commitment to doing these things that winning requires.”
Heading into the matchup, Dutcher knew Michigan’s defensive game plan was to force tough mid-range shots and floaters. And he knew past opponents like Wake Forest and TCU found success doing just that: hitting a mid-range jump shot off a high ball screen against Michigan’s drop coverage.
Those are the shots the Wolverines want and are going to give up all game long. The question, as Dutcher put it, is can you make enough mid-range shots to beat them?
“That’s what they do against everybody, so we had to get in there and make some plays,” said Dutcher, the former longtime Michigan assistant. “The hard thing is they’re in drop coverage and because they’re so big they don’t help in. You think you drive in, and you kick out and get a shot, they’re not helping. They’re leaving the big at the rim and they’re saying, make as many mid-range 2s as you can. We don’t think you can beat us with that. And they were proven correct. We couldn’t beat them.
“We couldn’t get 3s, because they weren’t helping a lot. They switch everything. They’re a talented defensive team. The success people have had against them has been with the same game plan we tried to play, where you get into the mid-range area, and you try to make those shots. And if you can’t, get on to the next thing and keep attacking until you find opportunity to score.”
The opportunities were few and far between. The Aztecs hit a few mid-range shots early on, but once that well dried, they seemingly had no answers.
As Dutcher pointed out, San Diego State couldn’t find a way to get many fast-break baskets and didn’t get a ton of clean looks. When the Aztecs got second-chance opportunities, it didn’t lead to much as they were outscored 22-3 in second-chance points. And even when they managed to get the ball around the basket, they couldn’t get it to go in and finished 3-for-12 on layups and dunks.
“Most times when you got taller dudes like that trying to guard wings (on the perimeter) the main goal is to beat them off the dribble. I thought they had a good mix of making us drive with Mara down low clogging the paint,” San Diego State’s Miles Byrd said. “I mean, there wasn’t a lot of open shots to shoot.
“We scheme for their size. We have some tall dudes that we threw on scout this week that helped us prep for it, but it’s a little different when you’re on the court with it.”
In the second half alone, Michigan nearly scored as many points off turnovers (17) as San Diego State scored total (21). The Aztecs made just one basket in the first eight-plus minutes after halftime as the Wolverines blew the game open and made just five shots the entire second half, with two of those coming after Michigan’s starters exited with five minutes remaining.
Mind you, this all happened against a San Diego State team that’s the overwhelming favorite to win the Mountain West, has made the NCAA Tournament the past five seasons, reached the national title game in 2023 and returned a bunch of players from last year.
“It definitely shows everybody what we’re capable of, especially when we have so many different lineups,” guard Roddy Gayle Jr. said. “Our jumbo lineup being able to protect the rim is something that we’re very good at, with Yaxel (Lendeborg), Aday and Morez being able to alter shots at the rim. Our guards are able to force tough 2s. That’s something that (May) want us to do — force tough 2s, no catch-and-shoot 3s, no easy layups.”
It’s a script May has followed since he was head coach at Florida Atlantic. During his tenure there, he said the defensive game plan — giving up the mid-range shots and floaters — cost them one game in six seasons.
Don’t expect it to change anytime soon.
“Every year we look at our team, and we say, ‘What can this team become on both sides of basketball?’ And then you try to fight like hell to get to that,” May said. “What’s the sausage look like at the end of the day? And then we’ve got to figure out how to make it.
“We felt like from day one that this team could be elite defensively. We’re not there yet, but we’re moving the right direction.”
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