Michigan HC Dusty May Explains Elliot Cadeau’s NBA Decision, Calls Him ‘Cheat Code’

Michigan is gearing up to make another run at a national title after reaching the pinnacle of college basketball this past year. The Wolverines are expected to have a top-five roster next season, even if Michigan loses big men Aday Mara and Morez Johnson Jr. to the NBA Draft.

Both guards Elliot Cadeau and Trey McKenney reached deals to return to Ann Arbor, giving Michigan one of the top backcourts in college basketball. However, Cadeau also announced he had entered his name into the 2026 NBA Draft, however, he plans on using that as future scouting for himself.

Cadeau plans on going through the draft process and finding out what scouts think he needs to work on this upcoming season in order to further improve his game in order to get selected in the 2027 NBA Draft.

Michigan Wolverines guard Elliot Cadeau (3) celebrates during a timeout against the UConn Huskies — Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Dusty May supports what Cadeau is doing and if Cadeau would light up the Combine, he would point Cadeau to the NBA.

"If he wants to go see what a workout's like, to prepare himself for next year, I mean, to get to hear what the people or future employers are gonna say about us," May said during his availability. "And I'm fully supportive of them..We support our players with whatever their personal ambition is outside of season. I mean, if an NBA team said we're gonna draft you in the top ten, I'd probably tell Elliot to go to the NBA, and we'd figure this out."

Cadeau is a 'cheat code'

Michigan plays more as a positionless basketball team, but May made it a priority to go get Elliot Cadeau last cycle out of the transfer portal and the way the former Tar Heel ran the team was close to perfection.

After seeing Cadeau play with Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara, May said the Wolverines knew how to target in the transfer portal this cycle. Michigan needed athletic big men who can play with Cadeau and have the capability to shoot threes.

The pick and roll was a big part of the Wolverines' offense this season, and with the addition of J.P. Estrella, Moustapha Thiam, and Jalen Reed — Cadeau should be a cheat code in the P&R once again.

"We feel like Elliot, first and foremost, is a cheat code in the pick and roll, and he needs certain things for him to maximize his ability," said May. "So that factored in to us targeting certain players. For example, I think JP's ability to pick and pop, to pick and roll, but also to be a physical screener

"And then we saw how potent Elliott was with Aday and Morez being able to throw lobs, so we felt like him having a lob threat. And then you factor in the shooting on the perimeter that I think Mustapha and JP, everybody signed, right? Mustapha and JP are both capable of making threes, and so that certainly helps with the spacing and the cutting. I do think we have some good cutters as well.

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