Michigan set up to be No. 1 in AP Top 25 thanks to transfer portal and culture money can't buy
Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) smiles as he celebrates with his teammates as head coach Dusty May is interviewed following a win over UCLA in an NCAA college basketball game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Credit: AP/Lon Horwedel
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan is in a position to be No. 1 in the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll because the program had financial support to make moves in the transfer portal and coach Dusty May has developed a selfless culture that money can't buy.
In a week that began with No. 1 Arizona losing on the road to No. 9 Kansas, the second-ranked Wolverines routed UCLA 86-56 on Saturday for their 10th straight win.
“You don’t have time to bask,” May said.
The Wolverines are set up to become No. 1 for the first time since Jan. 28, 2013, a season that ended with AP national player of the year Trey Burke and coach John Beilein losing to Rick Pitino-led Louisville in the national championship game.
Whether or not Michigan (24-1, 14-1 Big Ten) gets past the Wildcats on Monday when the new rankings are released, it expects to be tested twice next week.
The Wolverines play at No. 13 Purdue on Tuesday and against No. 4 Duke on Feb. 21 in Washington.
Even though they won't pause to celebrate success a month before college basketball's NCAA Tournament begins, what May has done in less than two years has been impressive.
Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) smiles as he celebrates with his teammates in the waning seconds of their win over UCLA in an NCAA college basketball game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Credit: AP/Lon Horwedel
After leading Florida Atlantic for six seasons, including a run to the Final Four in 2023, he took over a program that lost a school-record 24 games in Juwan Howard's final season.
Michigan won 27 games last year, including the Big Ten Tournament final and second round of March Madness.
This year, the Wolverines have won 24 of their first 25 games for the first time in school history.
May replaced eight departed players with a reshaped roster, highlighted by perhaps the top player in the transfer portal, former UAB star Yaxel Lendeborg, a preseason All-American.
Michigan players, from left, Malick Kordel, Aday Mara, Morez Johnson Jr. and Elliot Cadeau celebrate on the bench late in the second half of a win over UCLA in an NCAA college basketball game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. Credit: AP/Lon Horwedel
He also added North Carolina point guard Elliot Cadeau along with post players Morez Johnson from Illinois and Aday Mara from UCLA. He recruited high school players, too, landing Trey McKenney of Flint.
When the Wolverines play, they pass the ball to find the open man and rarely take bad shots. On defense, they rotate to help one another. When they're on the bench, they cheer louder than some fans, especially when seldom-used reserves get a shot to play.
“In this era of NIL, this area of college basketball, it’s amazing what Dusty and the staff have done,” said Nimari Burnett, one of just two players left from Howard's last team.
When athletic director Warde Manuel fired Howard, a former member of Michigan's Fab Five, he found exactly what he was looking for at FAU.
“Everything he talked about has already come to fruition,” Manuel said Saturday, sitting in the back of a room set up for the team’s postgame news conference. “The secret is his ability to connect with people. He works at it to get the right kind of people, not just the most talented players, to play for Michigan."
___
Follow Larry Lage on X
