Why Dusty May Trusts Wolverines to Follow Instincts on Plays

He's old-school in many ways, but new-school in allowing game adaptation. Point guard Tre Donaldson: 'That’s all that you can ask for as a player.'

Photo Courtesy of University of Michigan Photography

Dusty May on his players: “I want them to trust their instincts and play with what they see and what they feel.”

By Steve Kornacki

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Trust is central to all success involving two or more people. It doesn’t get talked up enough as it relates to athletic teams, but coaches trusting players is more important now than ever before.

That’s because this generation of athletes craves input in the process because communication is such a huge part of their lives — witnessed by social media habits. My generation would run through a brick wall if coaches asked. This generation would want an explanation on that.

That’s just the way it is, and I think that’s an improvement.

Old-school coaches trusted players to follow their instructions. Bo Schembechler, Red Berenson, Carol Hutchins, John Beilein, Sparky Anderson, Chuck Daly and Scotty Bowman are leaders I was privileged to watch function. And they each certainly got what they asked for.

New-school coaches such as Michigan basketball coach Dusty May, who turns 48 Dec. 30, are more trusting of the instincts of their players in game situations.

“We trust our guys,” May said after the last home game at Crisler Center, a win over Iowa. “Tre [Donaldson] turned down one [shot] late – the one he drove and got a great look. In my mind, he caught it, there was space, and there was seven seconds on the shot clock.

“I wanted him to shoot that one, but I’m also not over-coaching. I want them to trust their instincts and play with what they see and what they feel. And we’ve got good players. If you’ve got good players, you can usually figure out a way to put them in a little better situation. Then, you’ve got to let them play and trust ‘em.”

I asked Donaldson about what his coach said about trusting them.

“That’s not something that just happens,” said Donaldson. “It’s just the relationship that we’ve built with Coach. I mean, I go in his office every day and probably watch film. I talk to him. Little things like that, that trust is built.

“I mean, we have a group of guys that are just vets. Him just being able to trust us. But that trust comes from building a relationship. Him putting us in the situations and just trusting us, that’s all that you can ask for as a player.”

And that is why these No. 24-ranked Wolverines (8-2, 2-0 Big Ten) have grown so rapidly as a team unit, already matching the entire win total from last season under Juwan Howard. They’re comprised of six transfers, three freshmen and three returning players. And May brought with him an entirely new coaching staff.

Yet, for all that change, May connected so quickly with this team because he listened to them and is open to what is best for the team. He’s not a dictator. He’s found a way to be firm with flexibility.

May also is old-school in doing things the right way with discipline and dedication. But he’s new-school in being open to adaptation. That’s a great combination for a leader.

And I should add that Schembechler, Berenson, Hutchins, Beilein, Anderson, Daly and Bowman also listened to their players – particularly upper classmen, veterans or leaders. It’s just that things were different and more definite on game days: “Run the play the way it’s drawn up!”

Remember that May got his first taste of college athletics as an Indiana University student manager for Bob Knight – a dictator, if ever there was one. But May took what he learned from Knight and others, such as current Georgia coach Mike White when he assisted him at Florida, and molded his own unique approach.

I’m going to guess that, years from now, you will see a higher-than-normal percentage of May’s players going into coaching. He’s unlocking their curiosities about being the leader of a program.

Experiencing why this team wins is as fascinating as watching this team win on the court.

Sooners Up Next

Michigan plays No. 14 Oklahoma (10-0) Wednesday in the Jumpman Invitational in Charlotte, N.C. Tipoff on ESPN2 is scheduled for 9 p.m., but could be later based on the finish time of the game preceding it between the women’s basketball teams from Florida and North Carolina.

Wolverine “Twin Towers” Vlad Goldin (7-foot-1) and Danny Wolf (7-foot) hit stride in the last four games. Goldin is averaging 19.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. Wolf is at 16.8 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists in those games.

How they match up with the Sooners should be interesting. They have five players between 6-9 and 6-11, but none of them have figured prominently in playing time. Leading scorers Jalon Moore (17.5 ppg), Jeremiah Fears (16.7), Kobe Elvis (10.3) and Duke Miles (9.9) are between 6-1 and 6-7.

And can Sam Walters come off the bench to spark the offense with three-pointers as he did in three double-figure scoring games earlier this season? He had been 0-for-11 shooting (0-for-10 on treys) before making both three-point attempts against Arkansas in the last game.