From the second Dusty May took over as head coach of the Michigan basketball team in March, he had a clear vision of how he wanted the Wolverines to play. He wanted to employ a fast-paced, entertaining brand of basketball, one that would put fans back in the Crisler Center seats and Michigan back in contention.
Fast forward to five months later, and his focus remains in the same place. With his blank canvas for a roster now fully filled in, May still plans to ratchet the tempo up and get the game moving at the Wolverines’ blitzing pace.
“Our goal is for the defense to never stop and get set, to continue to put pressure early and often,” May said Thursday. “I’m perfectly content of giving up control to our players on game night. Now, we have to be trained to play like that. We have to be committed to it.”
To train his players to play that way, May has made sure to establish his preferred tempo in practice. Junior guard Tre Donaldson explained that when Michigan plays pickup, the Wolverines don’t take the ball out of bounds after a made basket, instead starting the next play right away. Then, the players are forced to pass the ball across halfcourt instead of dribbling it, which results in an automatic turnover — preventing them from lollygagging up to an already set defense.
Making sure his players instinctually push the ball in transition isn’t the only challenge May faces in installing such a high tempo, however. It also takes a large physical toll on the players, forcing them to constantly push themselves up and down the court.
“It’s a responsibility for all five players on the court to play unselfishly, to get the ball out of their hands, to get it moving,” May said. “We have a long way to go, but we have made progress in that area. It also takes a great deal of conditioning, of mental and physical toughness, to play the way we want to play.”
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