- 1,682 word
Michigan’s Dusty May earned the Big Ten Coach of the Year award in media voting for the Wolverines’ dominant season.
Illinois’ Brad Underwood is recognized by Illini Nation as an excellent recruiter who rebuilt the program, though his coaching remains suspect by a faction of fans who want to see better results come tournament time in March.
May wears a smile more often than not, while Underwood is more associated with a perpetual scowl.
This intriguing contrast in styles and personalities was on display Friday afternoon in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals at the United Center, where basketball fans were treated to a pair of close games and two of the nation’s most talented rosters.
Top-seeded Michigan survived an uninspiring performance to hold off Ohio State 71-67, while fourth-seeded Illinois blew a 15-point lead and faltered down the stretch in a 91-88 overtime loss to Wisconsin.
The Wolverines (30-2) meet Wisconsin, the only Big Ten team to beat them in the regular season, in Saturday’s opening semifinal, while the Illini licked their wounds and took the long bus ride back to Champaign to await Selection Sunday, knowing a No. 2 seed is probably out the window.
“It’s going to be terrible,” guard Kylan Boswell said. “It’s going to be quiet, with Brad coming up and down (the aisles) talking. But we deserve it, because we should have won this game and got too complacent.”
Can the Illini console themselves knowing it wasn’t the end?
“We just can’t wash it away,” center Zvonimir Ivišić said. “We’ve got to look at ourselves, see the mistakes we made, fix those mistakes and go to the tournament ready.”
The end of the second half and overtime saw the Illini frustrated over ticky-tack fouls, missed free throws and an overall lack of focus. Underwood was on his feet much of that time with his hands in the air and a look of disgust cemented on his face. His team seemed to take his lead.
Boswell said “the loss of focus maybe when we had our (15-point) lead” was the dagger.
“We can’t really go six minutes without scoring with a 15-point lead, let them come back and think you’re going to win,” he said.
Added Ivišić: “We can’t change what we can’t control, and that cost us … the calls and fouls or whatever.”
Underwood pointed to the disparity in free throws. Badgers star Nick Boyd scored 38 points and hit 12 of 13 free throws, while John Blackwell scored 31 and hit all nine free throws. Wisconsin went 25-for-30 from the line, while the Illini went 9-for-15.
“Maybe it’s the United Center,” Underwood said. “When we lost to Alabama here we didn’t hit free throws either.”
Well, that’s one theory.
-
Michigan center Aday Mara dunks against Ohio State in the second half during the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center on March 13, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
1 of 13
Michigan center Aday Mara dunks against Ohio State in the second half during the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center on March 13, 2026, in Chicago. (John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune)
Between games Friday, I asked Wolverines forward Morez Johnson Jr., who played under Underwood at Illinois before transferring last summer to Michigan, to compare the coaches.
“I believe they’re both really good coaches,” Johnson replied. “They both have their ways in the way they coach. Every coach is different, every coach is unique. Some coaches are just not for everybody. You’ve got to find the coach that’s for you.”
Johnson decided that May would be the coach for him and made the move after his freshman season without any hard feelings. But when the teams met Feb. 27 in Champaign, the Illini’s Orange Krush student section waved an AI-generated photo of Johnson wearing a clown face and a jersey that said “traitor” and booed whenever he handled the ball.
Johnson, a 6-foot-9 sophomore out of Thornton High, had the last laugh, scoring 19 points and adding 11 rebounds in a 77-67 win.
“That’s part of it (when) you transfer to a Big Ten school,” he said Friday. “They say it’s a rivalry. I don’t think it’s a rivalry with this school. But it is what it is.”
Johnson scored 11 points and added seven rebounds in the win over Ohio State, a relatively nondescript performance by the No. 3 Wolverines, who dominated in conference play all season. The Athletic boldly called it the best regular-season team in the Big Ten since the unbeaten Indiana Hoosiers of 1976.
Too soon?
Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg was held to five points on 1-for-4 shooting, but 7-3 center Aday Mara (17 points) and point guard Elliot Cadeau (15 points, seven assists) helped pick up the slack.
In the end, unlike the Illini, the Wolverines got the big rebounds and refused to wilt.
“The ones that really resonated late were just Rez and Aday, our big guys going and getting the rebounds above the rim,” May said of Johnson and Mara. “They got some real ones.”
The Illini seemingly get out of sync if Keaton Wagler isn’t on his game, while Michigan was able to get by despite Lendeborg’s disappearance on offense.
“If it’s not Yaxel’s night, somebody else will step up,” Cadeau said. “You see Trey McKenney step up, have a really good game, make a lot of shots. When (Lendeborg) is having a good night, we’re the best team in the country. When he’s not having a good night, I feel like we’re still the best team in the country.”
Perhaps, though even Cadeau conceded the Wolverines have to have a “different mindset” Saturday against the Badgers.
“Just playing a lot harder because, if we play the way we did today, I don’t think we’ll win tomorrow,” he said.
May, who coached Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023, has done a stellar job in his two seasons at Michigan. But Big Ten coaches voted for Nebraska’s Fred Hoiberg as their Coach of the Year, so perhaps May’s success has riled some of his peers.
Either way, the players know his value.
“He’s a great leader for us, and puts us in position to win,” Johnson said. “He’s straight forward with everyone, and very honest. He never bites his tongue to keep someone happy. There’s none of that here, and he holds everyone accountable. He’s a great developer.”
And he’s put them in position for greatness, while Illinois keeps waiting to take that next step forward.
Author
Related Posts
Gasperini Previews “Do or Die” Fixture Against Bologna in EL Decider
With nine matches remaining in the 2025-2026 Serie A season, Roma may need nearly every single one of those 27 points to...
Read out all
US F-35 damaged by suspected Iranian fire makes emergency landing, sources say – CNN
US F-35 damaged by suspected Iranian fire makes emergency landing, sources say CNN Iran claims historic strike on US F-35 fighter jet Geo News...
Read out all
L’OL est sur les traces de Rihito Yamamoto
L’OL prépare la saison prochaine et tente de renifler les bons coups. Les recruteurs sont allés en Belgique pour observer Rihito Yamamoto...
Read out all
Six bets and an Eliminator pick for the first round of the men’s tournament
Mar 17, 2026, 12:33 PM ET The 2026 men’s basketball tournament is here! Throughout the tourney, Mark Zinno will provide his best...
Read out all
Lebanon: Over 1 million people displaced by deadly bombing as Eid approaches – Islamic Relief Worldwide
Lebanon: Over 1 million people displaced by deadly bombing as Eid approaches Islamic Relief Worldwide Hezbollah ignites blowback from its base as over...
Read out all