The night belonged to Michigan basketball. They won the Final Four matchup against the Arizona Wildcats 91-73 to qualify for the National Championship game for the first time since 2018. Michigan dominated the game as Aday Mara went off for 26 points.
If the happiness of being in the title game wasn’t enough, Michigan also landed Brandon McCoy Jr., a five-star recruit from Sierra Canyon High School. He is ranked No. 18 in the SC Next 100 for the class of 2026.
Since Dusty May took over the program in 2024, McCoy Jr. is the five-five star recruit to commit to the Michigan Wolverines. While speaking to ESPN, McCoy Jr. said that his vision aligns with Coach May’s and he’s excited to be a part of the program.
“Coach May’s vision lined up with my vision and dreams, which are to become a pro and stay in the league long-term,” he said. “He said I could fill up a stat sheet, play winning basketball, be an elite defender, and play multiple positions.”
Michigan was the frontrunner to sign McCoy Jr. for a while. The 6’4 guard visited the school last fall, and he was impressed with what he saw and the program’s vision that was conveyed to him.
McCoy Jr. saw himself and his future within the setup and had a strong inclination toward the Michigan program.
“I went on a visit in October, and it was amazing,” he said. “I wanted to be part of a winning team that was unselfish, and I felt that was Michigan. During my visit in October, I was impressed by practice.”
Another thing that helped McCoy Jr. make this decision was the turnaround that Michigan has made since he last visited them. At the time, they were a struggling team trying to come up; today, they’re the most dominant team in the Big Ten Conference and a national title contender.
Dusty May is Staying at Michigan
Over the last few weeks, May has been rumored to be a frontrunner to take up the vacant head coaching job in North Carolina. Since the Tar Heels fired Hubert Davis, May became one of the favorites to take up the role.
However, he has no interest in leaving Michigan, and he’s not even entertaining any coaching-related rumors anymore.
“After last year, I decided that I’ll never, ever respond to any job speculation,” May said. “I made the comment that I was flattered about a certain job opening because of my background. That was misconstrued.”
After that instance became a lesson, May has stopped commenting on subjects that don’t directly concern him.
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