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Michigan's Season Is Over, But It Feels Like Things Are Just Getting Started
ATLANTA — It always comes abruptly, the end of a college basketball season for a team that makes it as far as Michigan did this year. Mike Boynton Jr., a Michigan assistant, wore his jersey out of the arena and back to the team hotel when his college career ended in the NCAA Tournament 21 years ago.
"I know what it feels like for those guys," he said, nodding towards the quiet, depressing locker room inside State Farm Arena. "I hate it for them."
Michigan's better-than-expected season ended on Friday night — technically Saturday morning — in the Sweet 16 with a 78-65 loss to No. 1 overall seed Auburn.
The game will be best remembered for Auburn's decisive 20-2 run over a five-minute period midway through the second half. Michigan led by nine and, in a blink, trailed by nine. The deficit reached 10 with 5:12 left and never got closer.
Some incredible shot-making from guards Tahaad Pettiford and Denver Jones, both of whom finished with 20 points, combined with Johni Broome's dominance near the basket, were too much for a Michigan team that got a lot from Danny Wolf (20 points) but not enough from everyone else.
Boynton, who coordinates Michigan's defense, said there were some breakdowns against Auburn's ball screens. When Michigan adjusted, the Tigers attacked downhill. The bigger problem, he said, was that Michigan didn't build a bigger first-half cushion.
Auburn wasn't hitting those tough shots early and Michigan didn't capitalize enough, botching fast breaks and turning it over too often.
Michigan finished with 15 turnovers, shot 5 of 17 from 3, and allowed 19 offensive rebounds. That's not the recipe to upset the team that entered the NCAA Tournament with the sport's best résumé.
None it changes what Michigan accomplished this season, Dusty May's first as head coach. The Wolverines went from an 8-24 record to 27-10. They won the Big Ten Tournament. The reached the NCAA Tournament's second weekend.
"When you take a step back, our body of work obviously has laid the foundation for something bigger going forward," May said.
He thought, once Michigan got here, it could go another step or two. And yet: "If you would have said back in June this is where we would end up, we probably would have been pleased."
Any Wolverine willing to reflect on the season called it an unquestionable success. Nimari Burnett said the program has a "beautiful future" thanks to May's leadership.
The drastic one-year turnaround was made possible by the transfer portal. May still had to actually do it. He brought in two 7-footers in Danny Wolf and Vladislav Goldin and played them together with incredible results. The other pieces fit together well enough for Michigan to stay in the Big Ten title race until the final few days.
"The relationships he forms with players is unreal," forward Will Tschetter said of his coach. "I don't really think you see that in today's era of crappy college basketball with everyone moving around all the time. But he's a special dude. He's going to create something really special here."
He already has. Keeping it going won't be easy. With this season over, all focus turns to building next year's roster. Goldin and Jones are gone, out of eligibility. There's a good chance Wolf leaves for the NBA. Burnett has a year left, if he wants it, and will consider staying at Michigan. Tschetter and Roddy Gayle Jr. Will be back. Anyone else could hit the portal, though freshman L.J. Cason is a safe bet to stay.
"We'll have meetings, see if their vision matches our vision and expectations and go from there," May said. "We'll certainly have a core group back. What it looks like, I'm not sure yet."
May said he's happy with Michigan's NIL situation, the biggest factor in attracting talent. He's also got a winning program to sell, a culture that shook any stench left by his predecessor's problems.
Michigan's postgame locker room vibe was, as expected, funereal. For Goldin and Jones and whoever else won't be playing college ball next season, this was it. That "it" came on March 28 — again, technically, March 29 — a later date than all but eight teams, was reason to, if not celebrate, appreciate this season.
Michigan's season is over. But it feels like things are just getting started.
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