Michigan Falls to Duke Despite Rebounding Efforts

Wolverines' coach Dusty May addresses team's struggles on the glass in loss to Blue Devils

Feb. 22, 2026 at 3:37am

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No. 1 Michigan basketball fell to No. 3 Duke in a highly anticipated matchup between two top teams in college basketball on Saturday night in Washington, DC. Despite their defensive efforts, the Wolverines were outrebounded 41-28 by the Blue Devils, which played a key role in Duke's five-point victory. After the game, Michigan coach Dusty May spoke about his team's inability to come up with loose balls and Duke's superior hustle in crashing the boards.

Why it matters

Rebounding is a critical aspect of the game, especially in close matchups between elite teams. Michigan's struggles on the glass against Duke highlight an area the Wolverines will need to improve upon as they look to finish the regular season strong and make a deep postseason run.

The details

Duke's tenacity on the defensive end made it difficult for Michigan to execute its offense. The Blue Devils were able to get to more loose balls than the Wolverines and outrebound them 41-28, which proved to be a deciding factor in the game. May credited Duke's ability to quickly identify and get to missed shots, often beating Michigan players to the ball.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 22, 2026 in Washington, DC.
  • Michigan hosts Minnesota on Tuesday, February 25, 2026 at 8:30 p.m. EST.
  • Michigan travels to Illinois on Friday, February 28, 2026 at 8 p.m. EST.

The players

Dusty May

The head coach of the Michigan Wolverines basketball team.

Cameron Boozer

A forward for the Duke Blue Devils basketball team.

Patrick Ngongba II

A center for the Duke Blue Devils basketball team.

Aday Mara

A center for the Michigan Wolverines basketball team.

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What they’re saying

“One thing they do, I think better than anyone, is they get their own misses. It seems like they just have a really—obviously, it's well-trained, because they all do it. They just have a really good feel for knowing where the miss is coming off of and getting there quicker. I thought there were several times when there was one of them and there was four or five of us. Typically, we're quick to the ball, we're physical, but for whatever reason on those shots they were able to get to them quicker.”

— Dusty May, Head Coach, Michigan Wolverines

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This game highlights the importance of rebounding, especially in close matchups between elite teams. Michigan's struggles on the glass against Duke will be an area of focus as the Wolverines look to finish the regular season strong and make a deep postseason run.