Dusty May Talks Pregame Explicit Chants, What Michigan Proved With Win Over MSU

No. 3 Michigan walked into East Lansing and found itself up 18 points at one point in time. But a furious rally by No. 7 Michigan State gave the Spartans a short lead — but it didn't last long. The Wolverines would kick it back in gear and walk away with a dominant 83-71 win over their bitter rivals.

Following the game, Dusty May was smiling and was happy with how his team performed in the Breslin. However, coach May was seen sitting alone on the bench during pregame and it wasn't a very 'welcome' message from the opposing fanbase.

May was met with 'f--- Dusty' chants from the student section while he was soaking in the atmosphere. Coach May spoke on the event following Michigan's win.

Michigan coach Dusty May with Elliot Cadeau — Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I was actually just taking a peek," May said of the arena. "I thought when we pulled in, the students were still lined up down the block, and even when we rode in at the Kalamazoo entrance or whatever, there’s a long line. And I saw those students, and I was like, okay, they’re not in yet, but man, this is, like, we’re building. This is a big time, there’s a lot of anticipation for this game. And so I walked by, and I was greeted. As soon as I stuck my head out on the court, and at that point, I was like, there’s no way I’m ducking and running from this smoke now.

"This stuff doesn’t bother me. And so I just let them get all their frustration and their animosity out early, and then that way they could enjoy the game. So I felt like I contributed to the environment just a little bit."

What Michigan proved on Friday night

With the win over the Spartans, Michigan moved to 20-1 on the season and the Wolverines have a .5 game lead in the Big Ten Conference. The Wolverines now have a pair of top-seven wins this week after beating both Nebraska and Michigan State.

What did Michigan prove this week? Coach May broke it down.

"I think we proved that we can still win in different ways," said May. "We haven’t been in two games like we were in this week where there was so little movement. You’re challenged for every inch of the court. You’re challenged for every step. And so last year’s team, we didn’t respond very well once the Big Ten got into this part of the season. And we addressed that through recruiting, and our guys were able to do that tonight. They were able to get just enough space and separation and create the angles, and guys stepped up and made plays."

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