INDIANAPOLIS — For the first time since 1989, Michigan is the national champion. In two seasons, Dusty May took the program from 8-24 the year before him to the pinnacle of college basketball.
In year two, May assembled a group from across the country to accomplish the ultimate goal of cutting down nets in April. The 2025-26 Wolverines were a methodical blend of the mantra “those who stay will become champions” and the new landscape of transfer-portal additions. And this team will go down as one of the most dominant in history.
“This just definitely hasn’t hit me yet, I’m just trying to live in the moment,” McKenney said. “This is unbelievable. This is one of the highest stages of basketball, and we’re the champions. Out of 360 teams, there’s only one champion and only one team wins on Monday, and we did that. I’m just really grateful to be a part of something that’s bigger than me, and I just love all my teammates, and I’m just really grateful to be here.”
The reactions across the board were alike. Sentiments of disbelief, gratitude, togetherness, and living in the moment rang through the celebrations on the court and locker room upon reflection. Those same emotions and reactions come from entirely different backgrounds due to the blend May created to make the dream a reality.
For players like graduate forward Will Tschetter and graduate guard Nimari Burnett, who predate the May era, they’ve ascended from the depths of 8-24 to become national champions.
“I cried harder than I cried in a long, long time,” Burnett said. “So much gratitude for the moment, for the people around me sharing this moment. I haven’t even checked my phone, and I don’t even care to, because I’m just so in the moment and so grateful for this experience that I’ll never forget.”
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