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Michigan HC Dusty May explains decision to bench Roddy Gayle Jr., insert Rubin Jones in starting lineup
Michigan guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) dribbles against Oregon during the second half at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Despite three consecutive victories, Michigan men's basketball head coach Dusty May sensed the need to shakeup his starting lineup ahead of Saturday's matchup with Indiana.

The No. 24 Wolverines benched guard Roddy Gayle Jr. , who has struggled mightily with his jump shot and ball control in recent weeks, in favor of fellow wing Rubin Jones . After Michigan defeated Indiana, 70-67, at Assembly Hall, May explained what went into the decision to start Jones and bring Gayle off the bench.

"Several things. First and foremost, Roddy Gayle has played at an extremely high level at times, and I think he was having trouble picking his spots," May said. "If he's ultra-aggressive, then [starting center] Vlad [Goldin] — who shoots 70% — is not getting touches. And [starting forward] Danny [Wolf] is not in the pick-and-roll, and the game slows down."

Gayle transferred to Michigan after spending each of the prior two seasons at Ohio State, where he was the Buckeyes' third-leading scorer last season. May hopes bringing Gayle Jr. off the bench allows him to play a style he was more accustomed to in Columbus, and provide a scoring boost for the Wolverines off the bench.

"We've been kind of chewing on it for a few weeks and thought this was a good opportunity," May said.

Meanwhile, Jones could fit the mold of what Michigan needs from its fifth starter. The senior specializes on the defensive end of the floor and could be a more natural fit alongside Tre Donaldson and Nimari Burnett in the Wolverines' backcourt.

"Rubin, I thought he embraced that role with those guys as a connector. I thought he embraced that role really well," May said.

Against the Hoosiers, Jones finished with three points, four rebounds and a steal, but May thought the senior played a larger role in Michigan's win than the box score would indicate.

"I thought Rubin Jones made a lot of invisible plays," the head coach said. "There were five or 10 that jump out, that aren't going to be on the stat sheet, that contribute to winning."

Michigan has a tough stretch of games coming up, hosting Big Ten-leading Purdue on Tuesday, before taking a road trip to Columbus next Sunday for a rivalry matchup with the Buckeyes. The Wolverines will then return home for another rivalry game on Friday, Feb. 21, this time against Michigan State.

It'll be interesting to see how Gayle Jr. and Jones perform over the next two weeks in their new roles. Gayle Jr. scored in double figures in 12 of Michigan's first 15 games, but has reached 10-or-more points in just two of the Wolverines' last seven outings. Perhaps having more offensive freedom off the bench will allow the junior to rediscover some of the early success he enjoyed this season.

This article first appeared on Michigan Wolverines on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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