Dusty May had immense praise for Ben McCollum following the No. 3 Michigan Wolverines' 71-68 win over the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday night.
May is going through the eighth year of his head coaching career, his second with the Wolverines. He is enjoying massive success this season as the team is in serious contention for the national championship.
May did give significant recognition towards McCollum, who is in his first year as the Hawkeyes' head coach. He joined Iowa after one year at Drake, where he coached the Bulldogs to 31 wins and the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
McCollum has done a solid job with Iowa so far, getting them to the 20-win mark in his first season. May gave him his props after the game, via reporter Tyler Tachman.
“I grew up watching Dr. Tom Davis’ teams. The pressing, the energy. So my perception of Iowa basketball is this and with what they have going on now, it’s going to look like this frequently, in my opinion… This is a really good Big Ten environment and it’s only going to get better,” May said.
Michigan coach Dusty May: “I grew up watching Dr. Tom Davis’ teams. The pressing, the energy. So my perception of Iowa basketball is this and with what they have going on now, it’s going to look like this frequently, in my opinion… This is a really good Big Ten environment and… pic.twitter.com/So0SCnUclA
— Tyler Tachman (@Tyler_T15) March 6, 2026
How Dusty May, Michigan performed against Iowa
No. 3 Michigan continues to be persistent throughout its incredible campaign, escaping with the road win over a solid Iowa squad.
Four players scored in double-digits for Michigan in the win. Yaxel Lendeborg led the team with a stat line of 16 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal, and a block. He shot 4-of-6 from the field, including 2-of-2 from beyond the arc, and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. Morez Johnson Jr. came next with 16 points and eight rebounds, while Aday Mara had 14 points and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, Elliot Cadeau provided 11 points and nine assists.
Michigan improved to a 28-2 overall record on the season, going 18-1 in its Big Ten matchups so far. They already secured the top spot in the conference standings. They are above the Michigan State Spartans and the Illinois Fighting Illini.
The No. 3 Wolverines will look forward to their regular-season finale, being at home. They host No. 8 Michigan State for an in-state rivalry showdown on March 8 at 4:30 p.m. ET.
