SEATTLE -- Danny Sprinkle knows how to build a team through the transfer portal. After reaching the NCAA Tournament two straight years at Montana State, he went to Utah State, where he signed nine transfers and won an NCAA Tournament game in 2024.
He parlayed that success into the Washington job, where he's again leaned on the portal to try and restore the Husky program to national relevance.
That's all to say he can appreciate what Dusty May has done at Michigan.
Yaxel Lendeborg was the top-ranked player in this transfer class. Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara were clearly talented. Elliot Cadeau was very productive at North Carolina. Sprinkle, after his Washington team lost to Michigan 82-72 on Wednesday night, noted all that talent.
"I'm more impressed with how it's come together," he said. "For those guys to be as unselfish as they are and almost have eight guys averaging double figures, that shows the connected team. That's why they're so good."
Michigan, 15-1 and ranked fourth in the AP Poll, has five players averaging between 10.1 and 14.6 points per game and three more between 8 and 9.6.
May, also in his second year, has praised his team's sacrifice, unselfishness and camaraderie all year. Other coaches see it too.
"If they stay that way, it's going to be really hard to beat that team when they're sharing the basketball and playing the way they do," Sprinkle said.
"They create more catch-and-shoot shots than probably anybody I've seen in a long time, and that's why they shoot such a high percentage. ... And then just the speed they play at -- they can push it with anybody."
He mentioned Cadeau, Michigan's starting point guard, who had six assists without a turnover, but also called guard Roddy Gayle Jr.'s performance "phenomenal. ... When he gets that thing with a full head of steam, man, he's a load."
"Credit to their team and the way they put it together and the way they've sacrificed for each other."
Sprinkle mentioned Gayle for good reason. The senior has been a very capable sixth man for Michigan this season. He tallied nine points, five assists, four rebounds and two steals in 25 minutes against Washington. He put pressure on the defense with straight-line drives, attempting eight free throws on the night.
He checked in for the first time a few minutes into the game and within a minute had scored on a fast break and converted two free throws.
"I kind of just accepted that that's my role, my duty, my responsibility," Gayle said. "Especially for this team, to be that kind of spark off the bench, being a leader, especially for the second group.
"Whatever I see on the bench, I see it from perspectives that (the starters) don't. ... I'm able to come in the game and kind of have an immediate impact."
May commended the effort and energy from Michigan's four returners: Gayle, Nimari Burnett, Will Tschetter and L.J. Cason.
The Wolverines are staying in the Pacific Northwest before they face Oregon on Saturday. As mentioned leading into these games, Michigan has been very good under May on extended trips. This one got off to a good start -- Michigan led 12-3 and never let Washington get closer than five the rest of the way.
"They were ready to play," May said. "I was curious because it felt a lot different than our Southern California trip last year."
That was during Michigan's winter break, allowing for an even longer stay; plus, while the changed hotels, both games were in Los Angeles.
"Obviously the travel is tough," May said. "I don't envy these West Coast teams with how often they have to do it. But I think we all knew what we were getting into when we signed up."
Lendeborg loves traveling with his new teammates. "It's a blast, man," he said. "These guys are the best group of guys I've ever been around in my life. Yesterday we were on TikTok live, just having a blast, expressing ourselves a little more than we should.
"But it just shows the character of this team. Everybody here is selfless. It’s amazing to see. We have a lot of guys that put the team over themselves."
After Michigan took its first loss of the season Saturday at home against Wisconsin, Wednesday was about bouncing back.
"We thought this was a great opportunity to get on the road and refocus so far from home where it’s just us," May said. "And that’s what we did."