Michigan Wolverines and Dusty May overran the Players Era Tournament. The Wolverines captured the title with the $1 million prize money after three consecutive wins over ranked opponents in the San Diego State Aztecs and, Auburn Tigers. They capped the tournament with a 101-61 win over Gonzaga in the championship game. However, analyst Jeff Goodman has asked Michigan and the fans to pump the brakes on their long-term goals.

The Players’ Era dominance is undeniable. They proved to be a force against some of the strongest teams in the nation.  “Today was just putting the world on notice that we’re here to be the best team in the nation,” Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg said. Goodman’s concern arises in Michigan’s consistency over the entire season.

“I don’t know if they can play much better than they did tonight, on both ends of the court. The question is again, can they continue to get better? Can they continue to stay focused? Goodman said on the Field Of 68:After Dark podcast, “I don’t know if they’re going to play a game like this again.”

Dusty May had an overhaul on his hands this offseason. Some of their best players are currently transfers. Elliot Cadeu Jr came from UNC, Aday Mara came from UCLA, and Yaxel Lendeborg transferred from UAB. Trey McKenney is a freshman. They haven’t played an entire season of basketball together, which gives rise to the consistency questions.

“And if they’re not shooting the ball like this, can they win games in the 60s consistently when they’re not shooting the ball well? Cuz they’re not a great shooting team,” Goodman further said.  “I worry that we’re all going to overreact now, and I wonder if Dusty does, too.”

In the past three games, the Wolverines have shot a whopping 53.8% from the field. Against Gonzaga, they were 60% from the field. Interestingly, they were actually inefficient around the rim. Overall, Michigan made just 38% of its shots around the rim, well below its 62% mark this season, according to Synergy Sports data. They shot 48.1% from three, well above their 32.1% rest of the season average from downtown. The roster is built around size, physicality, and paint domination rather than around proven high‑volume shooters. 

Burnett shot a team-high and career-best 40% from deep (66-for-165), and Tschetter shot 35.1% (34-for-97) last season. Among the newcomers, Lendeborg shot 35.7% on 70 attempts a year ago at UAB. You expect these numbers to average out over the course of the season. They are also the best defensive team in the country, conceding 87.6 points per 100 possessions, per KenPom. Their luck factor also puts Michigan in a +0.64, which is not the luckiest (84th in the country), but that can easily go the other way. 

(Luck – A measure of the deviation between a team’s actual winning percentage and what one would expect from its game-by-game efficiencies. It’s a Dean Oliver invention. Essentially, a team involved in a lot of close games should not win (or lose) all of them. Those who do will be viewed as lucky (or unlucky). Which is why Goodman reigned in the Michigan hype. 

“I just think we’ve got to stay a little bit levelheaded with this team and that yes, today they are absolutely deserving of being the number one team in the country, but again, can they sustain this?” He said. 

There is no denying that this Michigan team has the potential for a special campaign. Dusty May will need to continue working around his shooting red flag for a more consistent performance.  You would expect this team would gel better in the coming weeks and possibly even perform better. However, if the team flies too high during the good period, the crash could be just as bad when they hit a wall. Instead, a measured approach and continuing to build on their pieces is the way to go. If Goodman is worried about Michigan getting drunk on its own success, May’s approach to his players’ NIL windfall suggests he’s intent on being the sober voice in the room.

Dusty May Encourages Smart Investments After $1 Million NIL Win

The Players Era Tournament was a display of some of the best teams in the country. It was also very lucrative for the participants and the winners. Each team received $1 million in prize money. Michigan, being the winners, received another million dollars while Gonzaga received $500,000 for second place. Each player in the postgame press conference after the win, Nimari Burnett and Lendeborg, was asked what they planned to buy with the money.

Before they could answer, Michigan coach Dusty May interjected: “Annuities.” While May is not the traditional disciplinarian, he is still a leader and a relationship-driven teacher. May is ensuring his players are smart about their money and not splashing it immediately. “Honestly, Christmas gifts,” Burnett said. “It’s about that time of year anyway.” May chimed in with instruction again: “Roth IRA.”

Burnett said, following his coach’s advice, said, “The rest is going to investments. I’m going to be smart with my money.” Lendeborg, on the other hand, didn’t want to share his plans. “You’ll have to stay tuned. Maybe you’ll see it on social media.”May insisted once again: “Stocks and bonds.”Their Players’ Era run deserves some kind of celebration. It was a historic achievement. They became the only Division I team in the last 50 years to play 3 straight games against teams that made the NCAA Tournament the previous season and win all 3 by 30+ points, per OptaStats. “The only thing I don’t like about NIL is when they buy things that don’t appreciate their age. That’s it.” He said. 

The NIL is a reality of today. The players are earning millions. Lendeborg, for example, avoided the draft because he was getting more money in college. May is keeping their spending behaviour in check. We can expect the same attitude regarding their on-court behaviour. If May avoids his team being overconfident, like Jeff Goodman fears they could, this Michigan side could live up to the expectations.