In fewer than two full seasons, Dusty May has transformed Michigan men’s basketball from a languishing afterthought into a national title favorite, with the No. 2 Wolverines sitting at 20-1 only about 22 months after May inherited an 8-24 team.
In the process of doing that, he’s made at least one notable foe.
May and longtime Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo got into a back-and-forth on Monday, Feb. 2, with each coach accusing the other’s team of dirty play in Michigan’s 83-71 road win against the No. 10 Spartans three days earlier.
While speaking with reporters on Feb. 2, May was asked about a play in which Michigan State standout Jeremy Fears Jr. appeared to trip Wolverines star Yaxel Lendeborg, something May said “wasn’t an illusion.”
“I think there were several plays that are very dangerous and I am incredibly proud of our guys for the responses they had to some of those situations,” May said. “Incredibly proud of their self-control, their restraint and their impulse control. I’ll leave it at that. But they’re not isolated incidents.”
Here’s Dusty May on Jeremy Fears Jr. tripping Yaxel Lendeborg: https://t.co/QUk7PBZuTRpic.twitter.com/YcUEHyHHio
— TheWolverine.com (@TheWolverineOn3) February 2, 2026
May added that he had not reached out to Izzo or the Michigan State staff about his concerns.
“The film’s there, 40 minutes of it,” he said. “It’s not hard to find.”
When asked later in the day about May’s comments, Izzo fired back: He took issue with what he saw as some nefarious tactics from the Wolverines, like Michigan’s Will Tschetter throwing his shoulder into Michigan State’s Jordan Scott on a 3-point attempt, something he described as “a complete joke.”
Izzo, a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, said at least some of the heightened on-court tensions during the game came from an intense matchup between Fears and Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau. He added that “there were some things Jeremy did,” but that he addressed it.
“Him and their point guard were going at it pretty good,” Izzo said. “That’s what happens in games like this, so if anybody did anything dirty, tell them to call me and I would be more than happy to address it. If it was physical play, that’s the way that game is always going to be.”
Tom Izzo addressed Dusty May’s criticism of Michigan State’s “dirty plays.”
“I thought there were a couple plays the other way too.”
“Michigan’s over. I’m moving on to Minnesota. I don’t care what Dusty says.”
“If anybody did anything dirty, tell him to call me. I would be… pic.twitter.com/uYEgaU4ojv
— Michigan State Content (@msucontent) February 2, 2026
May and Izzo shared a noticeably brief handshake after the game, something Izzo downplayed when asked about it.
“Some guys I talk to,” Izzo said. “I have no interest in talking to my rival.”
It’s the second time in as many seasons that the Wolverines and Spartans have gone at it in a game at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Michigan. Last March, Michigan guard Phat Phat Brooks shoved Michigan State guard Tre Holloman at the midcourt logo, which Spartans seniors traditionally kiss on their way off the court of their final home game. Brooks and teammate L.J. Cason had been standing on the logo as a teammate shot free throws with 37 seconds remaining and as Holloman was about to check out of the contest. May said after the game that he wasn’t aware of the ritual.
Before Friday’s game, May leaned (literally) into the rivalry, going onto the court during pregame warmups and sitting back in a chair as Michigan State students standing closely behind him shouted at him.
Dusty May is in the building and MSU students are giving it to him. pic.twitter.com/iUCGkjjJVa
— Lucas Gentilia (@LucasM_Gentilia) January 30, 2026
The intra-state rivals are set for a rematch on March 8 at the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor, a game that will likely have serious NCAA tournament seeding and Big Ten Championship implications.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tom Izzo, Dusty May complain about dirty play in Michigan-MSU game