After going 1-6 down the stretch in Darian DeVries' first season, the Indiana Hoosiers failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament once again. The Hoosiers have now missed out on March Madness in three consecutive seasons and eight times in the last 10 years.
Facing another significant roster rebuild over the offseason, the frustration among IU basketball fans continues to grow.
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To make matters worse, Indiana basketball fans are watching Hoosier alum Dusty May lead the Michigan Wolverines to a historic campaign and another Final Four appearance.
Indiana alum Dusty May leads Michigan to Final Four
When Indiana made the decision to move on from Mike Woodson following the 2024-25 season, Indiana alum Dusty May was a name that was on the list of potential candidates to become IU's next head coach.
May was born in Terre Haute and graduated from Eastern Green High School in Bloomfield. He then served as a team manager for the Hoosiers under legendary head coach Bob Knight from 1996-2000. Given his strong Indiana roots, Hoosier fans were excited at the possibility of May taking over in Bloomington.
At the time of Woodson's firing, May was coming off his first season at Michigan. He found immediate success in Ann Arbor, leading the Wolverines to an overall record of 27-10 and an appearance in the Sweet Sixteen during the NCAA Tournament. Previously, he burst onto the scene at FAU by leading the Owls to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2022-23 and 2023-24, which included a trip to the Final Four in 2022-23 as a No. 9 seed.
This season, May has led the Wolverines to a historic campaign that has them in the Final Four for the 9th time in program history and the first time since 2018. Michigan has been among the best teams in the country all season long, and became the only Big Ten team to win all ten conference road games in a season. Furthermore, the Wolverines became the first team to finish the Big Ten schedule undefeated on the road since Indiana in 1975-76. At the end of the regular season, May was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Final Four presents homecoming opportunity for May
May's Wolverines have cruised through the NCAA Tournament to reach the Final Four. As the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Region, Michigan has won its four tournament games by 21 points over Howard, 23 points over Saint Louis, 13 points over Alabama, and 33 points over Tennessee.
May is now set to return to Indiana to coach the Wolverines in the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. The homecoming features a highly-anticipated matchup between Michigan and Arizona on Saturday, April 4 with a trip to the National Championship Game on the line. Tip-off is set for 8:49 p.m. ET.
Watching May's elite success in Ann Arbor has Indiana fans thinking about what could have been.