ANN ARBOR, Mich. — With one of the best to ever wear the Michigan uniform watching court side, sitting just a few seats down from the home team’s bench, the Wolverines did what they’ve grown accustomed to all season long.
Flipping the switch and turning a competitive basketball game into a what-the-heck-just-happened blowout.
The latest chapter took place on Saturday, when Michigan took a two-point halftime lead over UCLA and turned it into a 30-point victory, 86-56 at Crisler Center, the kind of Valentine’s Day massacre fit for royalty.
And there was Cazzie Russell, Michigan royalty and college basketball’s player of the year in 1966, to watch it all go down. Michigan welcomed back members of the 1966 Big Ten championship team (Russell included), 1976 national runner-up team and 1986 Big Ten title squad over the weekend, culminating in a halftime ceremony that drew a standing ovation from the 12,707 in attendance.
“Obviously he’s embedded in the lore of the University of Michigan,” May told reporters after the game, describing a Friday that saw Russell and others watch practice, join the team in the locker room and watch film.
“He seemed to be really, really doing well and proud of our guys.”
Russell, now 81, brought the Michigan basketball program to life in the 1960s — leading it to three consecutive Big Ten titles from 1964 to ’66 and a pair of Final Four appearances. He was named college basketball’s player of the year in ’66, when he averaged more than 30 points per game, and was a two-time consensus first-team All-American.
When Crisler Arena opened a year later, in 1967, it was famously dubbed “The House that Cazzie Built.” More than three decades later, Russell had his No. 33 jersey retired to the rafters.
On the court Saturday, Michigan continued to shape its own legacy — making its first nine baskets, pulling down every available rebound and making life difficult for UCLA, outscoring the Bruins by a jaw-dropping 46-18 margin to run away with the team’s 10th straight win.
Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) smiles as he celebrates with his teammates as head coach Dusty May is interviewed following a win over UCLA in an NCAA college basketball game in Ann Arbor, Mich., Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Lon Horwedel)AP
May’s squad is now 24-1 and building on its program-best start. The Wolverines’ lead atop the Big Ten standings is now out to 2.5 games with six to go. And while there’s still a chance this thing goes haywire — Michigan’s upcoming schedule is brutal — does anyone watching actually believe that?
“Sometimes we’re playing really good teams and we don’t play our best,” said fifth-year guard Nimari Burnett. “Doing it on both sides of the floor and not letting one side dictate the other, playing together, I think that’s what we did in the second half.”
Burnett (12 points, two assists), like the rest of his teammates, noticed Russell sitting a few seats down courtside. He got a chance to speak to the Michigan legend briefly on Friday, taking in the stories, lived experiences and advice.
“Not a long conversation — but just respect,” Burnett said. “I mean, these guys laid the foundation.”
May echoed that comment in his postgame news conference, calling it his team’s duty to represent Michigan, the athletic department and everyone who came before. A responsibility, even in the changing world of college basketball where four of Michigan’s five starters played elsewhere last year.
“They’re getting NIL money and this is on CBS,” May said. “It’s not because of us. Now we’re a piece of it, but it’s because of all the people who laid the foundation before us, which happened to be in our gym watching practice yesterday.”
Michigan with Russell at the helm made a run to the NCAA tournament championship game in 1965, losing to defending national champ UCLA. This Bruins team isn’t anywhere close to that, but the win marked another chapter in what is quickly becoming a season to remember.
Winners of 10 straight, May’s Wolverines could very well be the No. 1 ranked team on Monday. They will promptly have to defend that top spot with back-to-back games away from Crisler, beginning Tuesday night at Purdue (6:30 p.m., Peacock) and Saturday against Duke in Washington, D.C.
The road doesn’t get any easier after that, with road trips to Illinois and Iowa before finishing the regular season at home against in-state rival Michigan State.
While nothing is guaranteed, Michigan could not have positioned itself any better — healthy and playing some of its best basketball of the season.
“We’ve been playing better,” center Aday Mara said. “But I think our ceiling is much higher.”