The Michigan men’s basketball team finds itself locked into the clash of the century. A Final Four matchup between two No. 1 seeds that have dominated their respective schedules and conferences all season long and have all-time high KenPom efficiency ratings, Michigan and Arizona, is set to be a semifinal of a lifetime in Indianapolis.
With that comes a lot of pressure for all the coaches and players involved on both sides — pressure to meet the standard they have all season, pressure to execute and pressure to compete for a National Championship on Monday. All season long, though, the Wolverines staff has curated a culture built for moments like these.
At the beginning of the season, there were many question marks for Michigan about how a team essentially composed of transfers would gel. With players coming from different programs, backgrounds and levels of competition, the coaching staff found one common thread to build the culture: instilling confidence.
More on Michigan-Arizona:
- NCAA 2026: Michigan vs. Arizona Preview
- The visit that sparked Roddy Gayle Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg’s friendship
- How Elliot Cadeau unlocked his 3-point shot at Michigan
- First Look: Arizona Wildcats
- Podcast: Official Michigan-Arizona Preview
- Film Room: Scouting the Arizona Wildcats
“He instills so much confidence in everyone,” sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr. said. “He’s always telling everyone that we’re good enough if they have any doubt.”
Johnson, the Illinois transfer — with the possibility of facing off against his old team yet again in the championship — was quick to emphasize this point when asked about his favorite memory with Michigan coach Dusty May. Junior center Aday Mara shared an anecdote of his past experiences at UCLA and how different things were in Ann Arbor under May and his coaching staff.
“For me it took a month or two to get back to that confidence when I was playing,” junior center Aday Mara said. “It was shocking for me, because the first week, maybe I would turn the ball over or I was doing something wrong. After having those two years, I was expecting some punishment or something. But the first thing they said was, ‘Don’t worry about it. Keep playing. You’re gonna make mistakes. No one is gonna tell you did bad.’ Obviously, I know that I missed the pass or I did something wrong, but they’re gonna be there to help me and try not to not make that mistake.”
FINAL FOUR SPECIAL: 80% Off UM Hoops+
For this weekend only, you can get a year of UM Hoops+ for 80% off, just $20. Unlock access to all of our UM Hoops content, and new UM Hoops+ features like Film Room, Report Card, Live Four Factors Charts and much more.
Join the UM Hoops Community
Join the only community dedicated to Michigan basketball
Get ad-free articles, recruiting, advanced stats, member-only discussion, and the most complete Michigan hoops analysis anywhere.
Already a member? Log In
