WATCH: Dusty May, Michigan basketball assistants preview season at media day

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan Wolverines basketball head coach Dusty May and assistant coaches met with reporters during the team’s media day Tuesday. Watch video of May above and the assistant coaches below.

Kyle Church

Akeem Miskdeen

Justin Joyner

Michigan’s head coach discussed freshman guard Trey McKenney and what he’s gotten from him.

“He obviously looks different than he did in high school, much more athletic, much slimmer,” May said. “When you see guys every day, you don’t notice the amount of weight they’ve dropped because we’re with them at least five or six days a week. 

“He’s moving better. He’s staying in front of the basketball. Just like any freshman, he has really good days, and then he has some other subpar days, just like everyone on our roster. But he’s been awesome to coach. He wants to be better. He wants to win. He loves representing Michigan. Trey McKinney is a lot of what’s right about college basketball.”

Michigan has a deep team, meaning the players will have to be unselfish and maximize their minutes rather than need big minutes. The Wolverines also still have time to come up with the best combination of lineups.

“The minute allocation — I don’t know yet,” May said. “We still have several weeks. As far as combinations, there are certain guys that have played well with … maybe this point guard’s played a little bit better with this center, or these two wings have played better together than these other two wings. We still have a lot of information and a lot of data to gather before we make those decisions. 

“We do have a deep lineup. There’s going to be shared sacrifice … there has to be more team success. There has to be more fulfillment in the guy to the right and the left, and we do it well. That has to be our team.”

The returning players have been some of the most pleasant surprises for Michigan’s staff.

“I will say our returners have improved drastically. All four of the guys that were in the rotation last year are much better basketball players. Roddy Gayle the last two weeks has probably had as good of a two-week period as anyone in our program. Nimari Burnett, you guys know how I feel about Nimari — his level of consistency, his routine, his mentorship to the young guys. He just brings so much to the table.”