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BUFFALO, NY — The connection between Michigan and Saint Louis starts with coaches Dusty May and Josh Schertz, who once met up in Boca Raton, Florida, with plans to quickly watch film but ended up spending 10 hours talking shop inside May’s former office at Florida Atlantic.
“He’s an absolute basketball junkie,” May said. “He’s a savant. I’ve learned so much from him.”
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They are coaches cut from a similar cloth: May and Schertz are film-chewing basketball devotees who started as head coaches on lower levels — FAU for May and Lincoln Memorial and Indiana State for Schertz — before ascending to Saturday’s second-round matchup in the Midwest region between the No. 1 Wolverines and No. 9 Billikens.
And they have constructed two teams built in similar ways, with similar styles and a desire to set the pace with fast-tempo offensive playbooks designed to push the score up, up and up.
“They kind of play like us, to be honest with you,” Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr. said. “Very similar to us. Honestly, I look at it like, how do we guard ourselves?”
Added forward Yaxel Lendeborg, “We really run the exact same way. I feel like that’s a blessing and a curse for us.”
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A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
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A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.
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Nebraska Cornhuskers fans cheer after defeating the Troy Trojans during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Paycom Center on March 19, 2026 in Oklahoma City.
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The Ohio State Buckeyes cheerleaders perform in…
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Publish date : 2026-03-21 12:02:00
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