#25 Excel H Sports Ranked Michigan Thwarts Off Hoosiers   

By Nick Jenkinson/Excel H Sports

    The #25 Excel H Sports Ranked Michigan Wolverines held off comeback effort 70-67 Saturday Afternoon in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. The Hoosiers fall to 14-10 on the season and 5-8 in the Big Ten and with seven games left in the regular season time is running out for the Hoosiers as they travel to Michigan State on Tuesday Night.

    Michigan State beat Oregon 86-74 in East Lansing on Saturday as Spartans Head Coach Tom Izzo tied Former Indiana Bob Knight all the all-time wins lead in the Big Ten with 353 and has to chance to become the winningest coach in Big Ten History at home on Tuesday against Indiana.

   Friday afternoon Indiana University Men’s Basketball released a statement that Head Coach Mike Woodson would be retiring after the season. Woodson is 66 years old and has 77-50 record with two NCAA Tournament Appearances and 3 winning seasons. After the game Woodson would not answer any questions in regard to his upcoming retirement in the post-game press conference and no players were made available.

   It’s been a tough month for Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers and when asked how he has handled all of it. “Well, it’s been emotional. We’re dealing with young men, young kids that’s trying to figure it out.” Woodson said after the game. The Hoosiers have lost five in a row and seven of the last eight games.

   Michigan improves to 18-5 overall and 10-2 in the Big Ten as the Wolverines keep pace for the Big Ten Lead and a double bye in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament in March at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. For Michigan Head Coach Dusty May it was an emotional return to a place that he grew up just southwest Bloomington less than 20 miles from campus and was a student manager and staff member for both Bob Knight and Mike Davis.

   May was appreciative of the crowd’s reaction to him in pregame introductions and normally does not pay attention to it but coming back to his South-Central Indiana Roots it was hard for him not too. “I heard the ovation, and I appreciate it. I know where I came from. I didn’t score a basket here.” Michigan Head Coach Dusty May said after the game and he praised his coaching staff and players. “I’m not into self-promotion.”

   May left Florida Atlantic for Michigan in the off season after leading the Owls to the 2023 Final Four and NCAA Tournament last season. He brought Graduate Student Vlad Goldin with from Boca Raton to Ann Arbor and rebuilt the roster with a ton of transfers in his first season that has Michigan competing for a Big Ten Title quicker than anyone expected.

   May received a huge ovation and some IU fans were chanting “We want Dusty” at the end of the game. Indiana will a couple of months to decide who the next head coach as going to be and there are some that think the first call should be made to Ann Arbor but with over 2 months to go before the National Championship Game in San Antonio in April there will be plenty of speculation as to who the Hoosiers will pursue.

    Malik Reneau led Indiana with 16 points and Mackenize Mgbako recorded his first double double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Bloomington Native Anthony Leal added 12 points as the Hoosiers fought from being down double digits most of the game to fight back and fall in the final minute. Leal hit a three a buzzer that made the score three points, but it was too little too late.

   Seven-Footer Danny Wolf led Michigan with 20 points and 9 rebounds as Vlad Goldin added 18 points and 8 rebounds as the Hoosiers could not stop Michigan’s twin towers. Tre Donaldson who is an Auburn Transfer added 18 points and sparked Michigan to start the game hitting two three pointers.

    The Hoosiers and the Wolverines were tied in the early stages of the game 2-2 and 5-5 when Goldin hit a free throw to put them up 6-5 and then Donaldson’s second three pointer gave the Wolverines a 9-5 a lead and never looked back. Indiana would tie the game one more time in the second half, but Michigan never trailed throughout the game. Michigan led 43-27 at half and Indiana outscored the Wolverines 40-27 in the second half.

    The Hoosiers were down 17 points with 17:18 left in the second half and cut the lead 1 point 53-52 with 9:30 left in the game. Indiana tied the game with 4:08 left with two Luke Goode Free Throws to make it 59-59 with 4:08 left. Michigan led by five points 66-61 with 1:25 left. Malik Reneau scored on a driving layup with 1:01 left to make it 66-63. Trey Galloway would add a free throw to make 66-64 with 12 seconds left.

    Danny Wolf sealed the win with four free throws in the final 11 seconds before Leal’s three made the final margin of victory three points. Indiana had beaten Michigan four times in a row before Saturday Afternoon as all five games have been decided by five points or less.

    Dusty May praised Mike Woodson after the game. “I think he’s a fine basketball coach; I think he’s a fine human being. I think he’s done a lot for this university, with the jersey on and with the suit on.” May said he sat in on some of Mike Woodson’s staff meetings when he was an assistant at UAB and Woodson was with the Atlanta Hawks. “He’s a very, very nice man. He was a big-time player.” May added.

   There is always going to be respect between players, staff and coaches who have been connected to college sports at any university and for Dusty May and Mike Woodson they have always been and always will be Indiana Hoosiers no matter where they are coaching.