For Michigan head coach Dusty May, the celebration of a historic national championship was measured in minutes, not days. Mere hours after cutting down the nets and hoisting the trophy for the program's first title in 37 years, the relentless clock of college basketball's modern era was already ticking.

As the confetti still littered the floor of Lucas Oil Stadium, May's staff was already on their laptops in the locker room, diving into the freshly opened transfer portal. "You have to get to the next thing," May emphasized on a recent podcast, highlighting the non-stop nature of building a contender. The quest to defend a title begins the moment you win it.

This immediate pivot underscores the brutal calendar of today's game. Between the transfer portal, relentless recruiting, and roster management, there's little room for a victory lap. May admitted it's "almost impossible" to fully savor the achievement before the work for next season demands full attention.

Driving this urgency is a core philosophy for May's program: "All glory is fleeting." He knows that championship momentum is a precious resource that must be harnessed immediately in recruiting and roster construction. History, he notes, is filled with teams that won big and then stalled by taking their foot off the gas.

So, while there were fleeting moments of reflection in the postgame locker room, the very next morning was all business—making calls, setting up Zooms, and ensuring the Wolverines capitalize on their championship aura to build a roster capable of competing in Detroit next season. For Dusty May, the work to build a dynasty started before the championship champagne had even dried.