Overheard in Michigan’s locker room: I lost my voice and balls like rocks

DENVER — A handful of Michigan fans made their way down to the first row inside Ball Arena, as close as they could get to Dusty May, who’d come to the sideline for a postgame radio interview.

“Dusty March! Dusty March!” one shouted, eliciting a smile from Michigan’s head coach. Even if he wasn’t comfortable with the nickname (see below), he was beyond pleased with his team’s 68-65 victory over UC San Diego in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night.

Here are some highlights from the postgame interviews with May and the Wolverines, who will face Texas A&M on Saturday.

May on the game’s final possession: “I thought they would go quick. We thought they would try to get a quick 2 with 19 seconds. When we got the switch, it got to about seven or eight, I was trying to signal Danny to foul. But I lost my voice. He forced a tough shot and Rubin (Jones) finished it with a big-time rebound.”

May on Michigan thriving in close games: “When you watch our guys the last five minutes of a game, there’s a different level of intensity and determination to win the game.”

Danny Wolf on how he reacted when Michigan lost its lead late: “When Tyler McGhie hit that 3 on me, I just had a smile on my face and I was just like, ‘It’s going to be OK.’ And I mean that’s what March Madness is and guys are gonna hit big shots, but it’s just how you respond.”

Wolf on Tre Donaldson’s clutch 3: “It’s that ball screen on the right wing. I know it’s going in and Tre loves these big-game shots and big-game moments. It’s nice when you have one of those guys on your team.”

Tre Donaldson on his clutch 3: “My teammates continue to go with me, and they trust me, and I’ve been able to continue to step up and be big for my team.”

May on the crowd coming to life when UC San Diego made a run: “Obviously when the underdog makes a run, all the in-between fans, the BYU fans or whoever that’s here started cheering for them. I’ll just put this out: We are the lower seed (against Texas A&M). We are the underdog. Go Blue. We’ll take everybody. Everyone can hop on board for one day.”

Nimari Burnett on Michigan’s poise in close games: “Us being in late-game situations all year, a lot of close game victories in the Big Ten, playing in a really, really good conference helped us for moments like this to be calm, be poised, even when it’s crazy.”

Will Tschetter on another wild win: “We’ve literally won every single way possible this year.”

Wolf on playing a mile above sea level: “There was a stretch in the first half when we went a while without a media (timeout). I looked at all my teammates and even the UCSD guys were talking at the line about the altitude. But it’s not just us. I feel it, they also feel it. So I mean it’s definitely a real thing, but you just gotta push past it.”

Donaldson on the basketballs used for the NCAA Tournament: “The balls are like, if y’all felt it, they’re like rocks. … But like my old coach Ira Bowman used to say at Auburn, it’s round and it’s orange.”

May on being called “Dusty March”: “No, I’m good with, I’m good with our guys — they deserve this. I’m just Dusty May.”

Wolf on the quick turnaround before facing Texas A&M: “We didn’t come here to win one game. Our coaches are calling it the Denver Invitational. You’ve got to get two to get to the Sweet 16 in Atlanta.”

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