Michigan won its second national championship in men’s college basketball Monday, defeating Connecticut 69-63 in the title game in Indianapolis.
After a 31-3 regular season, the Wolverines were dominant during their tournament run, winning each of their first five games by double digits. Michigan’s average margin of victory in the NCAA Tournament before Monday was 21.6 points.
“It still doesn’t feel real,” Wolverines head coach Dusty May said during the trophy presentation. “These guys have done it all year.”
The Wolverines proved to be too physical for the Huskies in the championship matchup. Michigan shot 28 free throws, compared with only 16 for Connecticut. The Wolverines also dominated inside, outscoring the Huskies in the paint 36 to 22.
Junior guard Elliot Cadeau led Michigan with 19 points. Senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg had 13, while sophomore forward Morez Johnson Jr. added 12. Though UConn cut the deficit to as little as four in the final minute, the Wolverines largely controlled the action, leading for 75% of the game.
Cadeau was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player. He averaged 16.0 points, 6.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds over the final two rounds.
“It just feels great being able to do this with the people I love,” Cadeau said after. “Nobody cared about stats the entire season, nobody cared about anything but winning.”
The Huskies were looking for their third national championship in four seasons but fell short after a disappointing offensive showing. UConn shot only 31% from the floor, and its biggest stars struggled. Senior forward Alex Karaban, senior center Tarris Reed Jr. and freshman guard Braylon Mullins combined to score only 41 points on 30.2% shooting.
“It’s hard to be disappointed in your team when they fight so hard,” Huskies head coach Dan Hurley said postgame.
The Wolverines’ championship is the school’s first since 1989. Michigan was the runner-up in its four previous title game appearances, losing with the famed “Fab Five” in 1992 and 1993 and then again in 2013 and 2018.
This is the first championship for May, who is in his second season leading the Wolverines.
