About mid way through the 2024-25 college basketball season, the Michigan Wolverines are one of the nation's most exciting surprises. Dusty May has immediately turned the program around following the worst season in program history, and the Wolverines are 13-3 heading into the thick of the Big Ten schedule.

Michigan's front court duo of Vlad Goldin and Danny Wolf have turned heads all across the country as they have established themselves as one of the best front court tandems in the nation.

A team full of transfers has gelled quicker than many expected, which has the Wolverines being discussed as bona fide national contenders just 16 games into the season.

But as Michigan continues to stack wins, more attention will inevitably fall on the basketball team from Ann Arbor. When asked about this increased hype surrounding the team, May offered a unique perspective.

"There's a human nature component to it," May said during his weekly media availability on Monday morning. "And we've stressed maturity and focusing on the way we play the game and not just looking at the results. ... So, we've got to really — now that we're going to be getting more attention and more love — it's good. It's good for the sport. It's good for this university. It's good for our team."

May is right. The hype is good, and it's certainly evident. Crisler Center was filled with 12,707 fans — just about 1,000 fans shy of the arena's capacity — on Sunday afternoon to watch the Wolverines beat the Huskies and secure their fifth Big Ten victory of the season.

The Wolverines are currently atop the Big Ten standings, tied with rival Michigan State for the league lead. Both squads are 5-0.

Michigan is also projected as high as a 4-seed in some NCAA Tournament bracket projections.

May doesn't want his team to buy into the hype, though.

"We can't believe the hype. And we've got to get away from the processing of, 'Okay, we won by this much, then that's good.' We took a step back in some areas (Sunday). Our defensive intensity wasn't as strong as it was at USC or UCLA in some of the same areas."

"If we're getting tired of practicing now in early January, then we're not going to max out as a group."

In a 20-game Big Ten season, there's still a lot that can happen before May and the Wolverines truly cement themselves as one of the best teams in the league. May is encouraging his team to focus on bettering themselves and blocking out external noise.

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