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2026 Final Four: Dusty May sits courtside to scout first half of UConn vs. Illinois

ns_headshot_2024-clearby: Nick Schultz04/04/26NickSchultz_7

During the NCAA Tournament, courtside seats are reserved for coaches to scout other games, and that’s again the case at the Final Four. Typically, assistants handle the majority of those duties, but Michigan coach Dusty May became an exception on Saturday.

May sat in one of the seats on media row to evaluate the first game of the 2026 Final Four between UConn and Illinois. It’s especially rare for the head coach of the second Final Four game to scout the opener, considering they’re getting ready for their own national semifinal.

May planned to stay through the first half of UConn vs. Illinois, according to The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman. Then, he planned to continue his preparation for Michigan vs. Arizona to close Saturday’s games.

CBS’ Tracy Wolfson later asked May why he decided to scout so close to his team’s game and he cited his need to watch UConn more closely. Although he could watch on television, he decided to get a first-hand look.

“Not only are Michigan assistants here scouting, but Dusty May is, as well,” Wolfson said on the TBS broadcast. “Very rare to see a head coach do that before a game. I went over, I talked to May and he told me with the quick turnaround, he wanted to see things live, especially because he’s not really that familiar with UConn. He wanted a fresh perspective and he figured, much better than sitting in the back watching it on TV.”

May and Michigan will take on Arizona in Saturday’s nightcap at the 2026 Final Four. It will be a matchup between the last two No. 1 seeds standing, and they’re also two teams known for their big men. That battle will be worth watching during the national semifinal, and May expects a hotly contested game.

“We feel like we’re built in a similar fashion to Arizona, and I’ll begin with the veterans on both teams and how they’ve taken this off-the-bench role and they’ve impacted winning almost every game,” May said this week. “I see so many similarities with the intangibles and the team character of both of us, and then obviously when you factor in the size and both teams get a lot of credit for how good our front lines are, but there’s some great guards and very intelligent basketball being played by both teams.

“When we watch them, we see ourselves other than a few stylistic differences. We see a lot of ourselves in them, and it’s going to be a battle. We believe it’s going to be won in the 39th or 40th minute of this game.”