The No. 2 Michigan Wolverines escaped escaped State College with their undefeated record intact, but head coach Dusty May made it clear afterward that the narrow 74-72 win over Penn State Nittany Lions was far from a performance he was proud of.
Speaking candidly in his postgame press conference, May credited the Nittany Lions for outplaying Michigan in several key areas, particularly in terms of physicality and preparation.
“I want to tip the cap. A lot of times coaches get up here in a game like this and talk about what they didn’t do. Penn State was more physical than us, ” said May during his post-game press conference. “Their game plan was better than ours, they beat us every 50-50 ball. It came down to two teams really battling, and unfortunately, the last shot was off…but they played well. I thought Jurić was extremely effective. He was physical. I thought they played a smart, disciplined game, and they capitalized on the mistakes that we made. So, to get out of here, much like another league game, we’re very fortunate to get out of here finding a way to win.”
Michigan entered the matchup riding one of the most dominant frontcourts in college basketball. The trio of Aday Mara, Morez Johnson Jr., and Yaxel Lendeborg has powered the Wolverines to a historic start, anchoring elite interior defense while combining for efficient scoring and rebounding.
On paper, the matchup favored Michigan heavily. Penn State has struggled on the glass and defending inside all season, yet the Nittany Lions flipped the script. Seven-foot forward Ivan Jurić consistently won physical battles against Mara, scoring 20 points while stretching Michigan’s defense with perimeter shooting.
Penn State’s edge on the offensive glass proved especially damaging. The Lions grabbed 15 offensive rebounds and turned them into 22 second-chance points, effectively erasing Michigan’s size advantage and keeping the game within reach deep into the second half.
Johnson, fresh off a Big Ten Player of the Week honor, was limited by foul trouble and finished with just three points. With Mara fatigued late, May was forced to downsize, leaning on Lendeborg at center and Roddy Gayle Jr. at power forward during crunch time.
The win moves Michigan to 14-0 and 4-0 in Big Ten play, but May’s comments underscored a clear message — the margin for error in conference play is razor-thin. As the Wolverines return home to face the Wisconsin Badgers, the close call in State College serves as a reminder that dominance must be earned every night, especially in the Big Ten.
