INDIANAPOLIS—-Deep within the hallway of the United Center, Michigan thought it was out of sight prior to its NCAA Tournament opener against Howard. The Wolverines weren’t hiding, by any means — they just believed they were away from prying eyes.
What they didn’t know is that when someone did inevitably find them stretching to the tune of Natasha Bedingfield’s song, “Unwritten,” they would endear themselves to the country. They’d also find an unlikely battle cry in the process.
Michigan forward Will Tschetter recalls commanding Michigan’s team managers to play the song on the bus ride to shootaround. Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg felt as if other songs would meet the moment more adequately; Tschetter recalls that Lendeborg played a Katy Perry song. But “Unwritten” came on and took hold of the stage.
By all accounts, Lendeborg is among this group’s biggest personalities. Michigan assistant Justin Joyner describes the Michigan star as loose and a fun presence. Joyner’s words are affirmed by Lendeborg’s involvement throughout Michigan coach Dusty May’s interviews, in which he’s serenaded with towels and the entirety of Michigan’s roster standing behind him.
Michigan wing Roddy Gayle says he has no idea how the tradition started, but he’s got a suspicion.
“You gotta let Yax be Yax,” Gayle says. “It’s just kind of terrific that any kind of mood he’s in, he’s able to lighten the room.”
In that way, this Michigan team has taken on the identity of its star. Joyner says that Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau is a “psycho” in that he can easily flip a switch from keeping things light to embracing a unique intensity. Aday Mara, who is nicknamed Big Goof, makes life fun with his tendency to joke. And forward Morez Johnson also has his moments.
The enabler of all of Michigan’s unique personalities is May, who Joyner notes is uniquely comfortable in his own skin. May makes an intentional effort to keep it loose with Michigan’s players and has been intentional about creating an environment in which his team feels as if it can do the same.
“They’re not overly tight,” Joyner told Hoops HQ. “We have some guys that are killers on the court but are just loose personalities. We want those guys to feel comfortable in their own space and how they prepare. When it’s time to work, it’s time to work. But, we want these guys to be themselves when it’s not time to work.”
Saturday will be time for this Michigan team to work, but as it met the media in its open locker room on Friday, they were clearly off the clock. A number of Michigan walk-ons joked around, and as one mentioned Howard Eisley Jr., he got up from across the room to elevate the joke.
Perhaps the moment appeared to be relatively insignificant, but it’s the type of thing that May and company have embraced throughout his tenure.
“In our building, we take pride in psychological safety,” May said. “We want all these guys to be who they are now when other people are counting on us to do a job, then we have to do it in a certain way with a level of intensity and professionalism and whatnot, but when we’re not doing that job, we want these guys to enjoy each other’s company, to have fun and be who they are.”
This Michigan team has been in as many high-pressure situations as any in the country, but it has embraced the fun more than it has leaned into the pressure. The Wolverines have gotten everyone’s best shot as a result of their historically dominant Feast Week in Las Vegas and the target that put on their back, but May’s team has rarely skipped a beat.
When Michigan takes the floor on Saturday, it will be 35-3 and will have a chance at a national title berth. The players have got a daunting task against Arizona, but they don’t appear to have all that much tense energy as game time approaches. That wouldn’t be fitting for this group.
Don’t expect May’s squad to change who they are — or how they operate.
“At the end of the day, we’re playing a kids’ game,” Tschetter said. “We always have to remind ourselves why I got into it. This is like our inner child and we’re just out here to hoop, have fun with one another and enjoy winning.”
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