Atlanta — From Day 1, Michigan coach Dusty May expected to win in Year 1. That mission was accomplished and then some, as May took over a program that won eight games last season, more than tripled that win total and had the Wolverines playing for a spot in the Elite Eight. Even in the wake of Saturday’s Sweet 16 loss to Auburn at State Farm Arena, May could appreciate the ride the Wolverines (27-10) had in what turned out to be a banner campaign. “It stings to finish the season when you don't feel like you played your best basketball,” May said, “but when you take a step back, our body of work has laid the foundation for something bigger going forward.” It was a remarkable turnaround and transformation, considering May and his coaching staff inherited a decimated roster and completely rebuilt it on the fly. He intentionally targeted players from winning programs and cultures. He got everyone to buy into the vision and pull in the same direction. He deployed a lineup that paired 7-footers Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf and presented one of the most unique matchup challenges in college basketball. Some — even Wolf himself — questioned whether it would work. It did, and not many teams could stop it. More: Wojo: Wolverines’ season of revival ends in tears and pain “Coach Dusty came in with a plan to win and to get a group of guys together that were fit to win and eventually become brothers, and that's exactly what we did,” said guard Nimari Burnett, who was just one of three returning scholarship players from last season’s squad. “Coming off a tough year last year, the plan was to write the story and represent the block M in the right way. Not only did we build brothers and brotherhood, but we're going to talk about this for the rest of our lives. It's something we're all going to remember.” Nobody knew what to expect from May’s squad, a group that featured nine new faces with six transfers and three freshmen. But May felt the Wolverines had a chance to do something special when coaches he respected — from all levels, ranging from the NBA to high school — would drop in to watch practice during the summer and comment on how good they thought the team could be. The Wolverines were picked to finish ninth in the expanded 18-team Big Ten before the season. They didn’t finish anywhere near the middle of the standings. Rather, they were in the mix for the regular-season title until the final week of season and finished in a tie for second with Maryland at 14-6.   The 14 conference wins matched the program’s combined total over the past two seasons and was the most since the 2020-21 campaign, the last time Michigan was regular-season champs. “When you look at it in hindsight from the beginning of the year, I didn't think Michigan basketball had much expectations,” said guard Roddy Gayle Jr., who transferred from rival Ohio State. “Everything that we've been through, everybody coming from different programs and being able to come together and win at such a high level and make it to the Sweet 16 and go against a No. 1 seed in March Madness … it's amazing what we were able to accomplish. “It was everything that we could ask for. We achieved much more than we were expected to.” The Wolverines made history along the way, going from 8-24 to the Sweet 16. According to OptaSTATS, no team has reached the Sweet 16, which officially began in 1975, one season after losing as many games as Michigan did a year ago. On top of that, May became the first Big Ten coach to win the conference tournament in his first season, when the Wolverines ripped off three wins in three days in Indianapolis. He also set a pair of program marks for the most overall wins (27) and Big Ten victories (14) by a first-year Michigan coach. “He believes in everybody,” guard Rubin Jones said of May. “He puts confidence into everybody in his locker room, from the walk-ons to the guys that don't even put a jersey on to the top of the ladder. Everybody believes in him, believes in his program. His offensive system is one of one. I've never seen nothing like it. “This is only the beginning of a long run he’s going to make here.” Forward Will Tschetter has experienced highs and lows during his four seasons, from reaching the Sweet 16 in 2022 to missing out on the NCAA Tournament entirely the past two years and setting a single-season program record for losses. He took pride in helping get Michigan back to its winning ways. Tschetter noted the connectivity and resiliency the team showed throughout this season isn’t something that’s seen everywhere, especially in today’s age of the transfer portal. When things didn’t go Michigan’s way or when adversity struck, the Wolverines didn’t splinter; they grew closer together. He attributed that to May’s “unreal” ability to build relationships and connect with his players. Tschetter added May is “going to create something special here,” with this season’s journey a sign of what’s to come. “If you would have said back in June this is where we would end up, we probably would have been pleased,” May said. “You think back (the summer) when we had the full group here and what they looked like then and where you were at that point, it didn't look anything like it does now. You're bringing in so many new guys, you have some other guys still in the program, you don't know how their personalities are going to mesh, their skill sets. “For these guys to want to be better every single day, to be open to change, to love each other, to get off the mat when you get knocked down, I’m just proud of the group. We had a blast, and we did some things that we'll have forever. We'll have a (Big Ten tournament) banner. When I think back to the first Michigan team I was a part of, these guys, they left a legacy.” But just as much as May took time to reflect, he already was looking ahead. Starters like Goldin and Jones have exhausted their eligibility. Others will have tough decisions to make, like Wolf, who could leave for the NBA Draft. There’s no time to decompress because these next few weeks will be crucial for next season’s outlook. May anticipates Michigan will have a “core group” back, and will welcome a recruiting class led by Orchard St. Mary's star Trey McKenney, Michigan's Mr. Basketball. The coaching staff will look to add players who match the program’s vision and expectations. Everything will be done with the aim of taking the next step and playing even deeper into March. The standard has been set. An identity has been established. While Michigan’s season is over, it feels like things are just getting started. “We're an ambitious group. We're not going to come in and try to just be competitive. We want to win championships,” May said. “Now we turn (our) focus to Year 2 and try to build a championship roster, correct some things that we need to get better at and then see where we end up a year from now.” jhawkins@detroitnews.com @jamesbhawkins This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Under Dusty May, Michigan basketball lays foundation 'for something bigger going forward'

Malcolm x said that hatred is powerless when it's met with kindness and that seems like something that dr king would say right i mean if we understood who malcolm was as he's been portrayed in in the much broader american history we would think that that…

MissNikkiiBaby is speaking on her relationship status after a woman called out her mystery date, Mazi, for alleged cheating.

Michigan basketball coach Dusty May has made an impression in his first year at the helm. And the Wolverines made sure he will have a chance to keep impressing. Michigan athletic director Warde Manuel announced that the university and May have…

Ann Arbor – There’s no time to wait, no talent to waste in college sports anymore. Programs unload and reload with such speed, it can be difficult to keep up. Michigan knows it as well as any school, especially in the two major sports. Programs are…