INDIANAPOLIS — With a minute and a half remaining in the first half on Saturday, Roddy Gayle Jr. witnessed a sight he hadn’t seen in 50 days.
He jogged down the left lane in transition, caught a pass at the wing and let a 3-pointer fly. And for the first time in 50 days, the junior guard got to watch it go through the hoop.
That triple was Gayle’s first make since he hit one on January 24 at Purdue, and just his second made three in the year 2025. Before that shot, he had missed 18 straight attempts from beyond the arc. It spurred a 7-0 Michigan run to close out the half — including a massive slam for Gayle on an alley-oop — but arguably more important is what it did for Gayle personally.
“Been a while, I didn’t know what to do when I hit it, ” Gayle said with a smile. “It felt good. Me and the coaching staff and the players, I know they have a ton of confidence in me to shoot those shots.
“It’s just that pressure I had off my shoulders, worrying about my shooting percentage or what I had been doing in the past. I kind of let that burden go and just go out there and played (to have) fun.”
Dusty May Promo!
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