Game 10: Michigan vs. Arkansas Recap

Michigan’s 89-87 loss to Arkansas at Madison Square Garden had it all. Michigan led by 15 in the first half and trailed by 18 in the second. The Wolverines made 11 shots in a row in the first half, only for Arkansas to hit 12 out of 15 in the second.

Ultimately, the contest came down to a couple of video reviews, free throws, and a backdoor play a few inches away from a basket—vintage college basketball in December.

There were stretches painful enough to leave each coach pulling out their hair during the film on the flight home, but then there were others that looked like what was drawn on the whiteboard in a preseason planning meeting.

So much happened in this game that you could probably hone in on any emotion, takeaway, or vibe from the 40 minutes. I have a recap to write, so I’ll boil it down to one thing: conviction.

Michigan isn’t there yet, and we have no idea what the final product will be. Despite the work-in-progress nature, you’d have to be blind not to see Dusty May’s plan. This was only the tenth game of the May era, but I feel entirely convinced in what he’s trying to build and how he’s trying to get there.

The best endorsement of May as Michigan’s head coach is that we can all see the plan, and he has the conviction to stick to it. There’s a steadiness in the fact that every move he makes aligns with that plan.

If you keep that plan in mind, you can predict how May will react. You’ll rarely be wrong, and that’s the foundation of what he’s trying to build. A foundation of trust that goes from players to coaches, coaches to players, and everyone to the process.

Tonight’s result was disappointing, but the process was there. May’s conviction to stick to that plan, even on a night like this, points to a bright future when it arrives.