Charles Post has been a writer for Maize n Brew since 2024, covering in-person media availabilities for Michigan athletics.
With conference play scheduled to get underway on Tuesday, Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May reflected on how his experience as a student manager with the Indiana Hoosiers helped prepare him for coaching in the Big Ten.
Michigan is coming off a dominant win over the Xavier Musketeers in the Fort Myers Tip-Off championship last week and will try to keep momentum going against the unbeaten Wisconsin Badgers in the Big Ten opener on Tuesday.
"Obviously there's a feeling of knowing how tough it is to win at Wisconsin and how infrequently teams win there," May said. "It's been a long time and the game, personnel and coaches have changed but there's just a familiarity."
May's path to becoming the Wolverines' head coach is rooted in valuable lessons that he learned during his time as a student manager for the Hoosiers. From 1996 to 2000, May worked under legendary Indiana coach Bob Knight.
Those formative years provided May with a deep understanding of the demands and intricacies of Big Ten basketball, and helped him excel early in his first season at Michigan as the Wolverines sit at 6-1 entering conference play.
Wisconsin is widely regarded as one of the most difficult environments to play in the Big Ten so Michigan certainly has a challenge ahead of them but May's experience could give the team a heightened awareness heading into the game.
"As far as my experience at Indiana, I remember just sitting in the first row and thinking this is very daunting at times. We've leaned on the returners about what they remember about playing at Wisconsin so it's a cumulative effort."
In addition to being exposed to the high intensity and physicality that define Big Ten basketball, May's time at Indiana gave him an insight into Knight's demanding coaching style that put an emphasis on discipline and toughness.
The Big Ten is unlike any other conference in the country and it takes a unique perspective to find success as a coach. May's understanding of how to win at a high level in the league should pay dividends this season and beyond.
As the Wolverines open Big Ten play against Wisconsin, May's time with Indiana will help him be fully prepared for what the raucous atmosphere has to offer and what Michigan must do to come out with a road victory in Madison.