Dusty May

I'm watching Michigan State - Purdue.  I don't really care who wins because the records are virtually the same.

But it looks like the Spartans are going to have a long celebration.  Purdue, I don't know why they are usually the highest in the rankings.  I couldn't name a single Michigan State player, but they have been above Michigan almost the whole season.  I've seen it before.  Look at the annual recruiting rankings.  By this time of the year they are fine-tuned. Their many fans know it.  Izzo gets it done.

Of course there is no love.  It isn't as dismal as living in Ohio.  No one will lose their job or their beard.  Anything but 50-50 over the next six games will be a surprise and everyone will be happy.

Braden Smith is amazing but they stole the ball from him.  Michigan exposed them.  No one can play all the time and be invincible.  They did it again.  Take away Smith and negate or get their bigs to foul-out and you beat Purdue.

Which brings us to Dusty May. Michigan plays Michigan State Friday night at home.  Michigan is undefeated at home this year.  May will have a plan.

A bunch of transfers to leading the overgrown Big Eighteen is a fluke.  Dusty May is no fluke.  You bet Indiana Wants Me him.

Wow.  The Breslin Center (and the team) are amazing.  It'll be interesting to see if Michigan fans and the team will be different.  Will Goldin and Wolf stop State's driving guards or get in foul trouble?

 

Back to the team.  Michigan basketball was a disaster in Juwan Howard's last year; it was vehemently documented here.   

The only thing(s) he has done wrong:  poaching from former team; noncontributing son on scholarship/team.  Ugly doesn't count as a mistake.

It has been and continues to be a good ride.  Purdue destroyed Michigan at home.  The thing is, Michigan is basically four players (Goldin, Wolf, Patterson, Cheddar) with a little Jones and a tiny bit Pippen and Cason.  Burnett disappears.  Roddy Gayle is a mystery.  They have come a long way but it is going to end.  They just don't have the horses.

That was what was on my mind before the Purdue win at home.  Now I see Michigan State, ten deep, with distributed scoring.

The real thing is that Michigan is in first place, coming from nothing, in probably the best overall 18-team league in college sports.  It doesn't matter that many are close wins.

First, May got two 7-footers, one an established inside man and the other with all kinds of potential. Next, he found a point guard in Donaldson.  Nimari Burnett and Gayle DK.  Cheddar, good; some promising freshmen guards.

May has shown he can recruit and manage the portal.

Most of all, remarkably, he has formed a team.  And he is a strong in-game coach.  He can clearly be stern at times.  Overall, his positive attitude works.  They're not even coach-speak, he says the right things and is respectful.  Almost every coach these days displays a dark side; with Dusty May we haven't seen it yet and there is no reason to think one will emerge.

For Michigan it was an unusually quick hire.  He wanted it.  No reason not to.