BLOOMINGTON, Ind — Despite a game still being played inside of Assembly Hall on Saturday, there were more storylines than just who won and lost. Michigan’s entrance came less than 24 hours after IU basketball released a statement that reflected a change in direction following seasons end — with head coach Mike Woodson stepping down at the end of the year. So what was the reaction for fans when they not only saw Woodson walk out on Saturday, but also former IU manager and current Michigan head coach Dusty May?
It was a ‘flattering’ moment for the former Indiana grad.
“I heard the ovation and I appreciated it,” May said after the game. “I didn’t score a basket here, so to be shown gratitude like that feels good … it’s flattering when you have the path that I had and have, I’m still on the same path. It makes you feel good, because what’s your competitive advantage as a student manager that transferred in (Indiana) as a marginal Division II player? And you just think back, and it’s like, man, all I did was show up with great energy and passion for this game and helping people every day. Because of that, I think people always saw something (in me) or believed in me”
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May gradated in 2000 and was on staff as a manager under Bob Knight. His ties to the program are clear.
And with a coaching search now on the horizon and a new era about to begin in Bloomington, May’s name will be tossed around and connected to the search — once again. But is it realistic? He’s in the midst of his first year in Ann Arbor and has the Wolverines competing at the top and in the mix for a Big Ten title — a year after Michigan went 8-24.
“That stuff’s crazy,” May said. “I love being at Michigan and I love our team. We’re fighting like crazy. This place (Indiana) is my foundation, but I’m very, very happy at the University of Michigan. We came here to win a game, so mission accomplished.”
Saturday’s 70-67 loss for IU basketball was its fifth in a row and the seventh in the last eight games. Indiana — picked second in the Big Ten in the preseason — is on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble and holds a resume without any notable win.
Indiana now sits at 14-10 overall and 5-8 in Big Ten play — ranked 12th in the league — and is on the verge of missing the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. Woodson, who took IU to back-to-back tournaments in his first two years, has compiled just a 15-18 record in Big Ten play across the last two seasons.
“I don’t know much about Coach Woodson, I don’t know much about the situation. If anybody knows me, I’m pretty locked in on what I need to be doing,” May continued. “So I think he’s a fine basketball coach, I think he’s a fine human being, and he’s done a lot for this university with the jersey on and with the suit on both.”
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