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The Michigan Wolverines are finally back as men’s basketball national champions, defeating the UConn Huskies, 69-63, to end a thrilling NCAA Tournament run in style at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday night.
This is the first time Michigan has won since 1989 and just the second time in program history they have called themselves champions.
Meanwhile, the Huskies were looking to win their third title in the last four tournaments, but their shooting ultimately let them down.
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Elliot Cadeau celebrates during the first half of the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball national championship game against UConn at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, on April 6, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
While both teams’ offenses came into this game and worked like a machine, it was a low-scoring affair to kick off this game. Michigan only owned a 33-29 lead in the first half at the buzzer, but it wasn’t Yaxel Lendeborg leading the way in the scoring department for the Wolverines.
The Michigan star, playing on a sprained left MCL and left ankle suffered during the win over Arizona in the Final Four, was just 1-of-5 shooting for four points in the first half. It was Morez Johnson Jr. (10 points) and Elliot Cadeau (seven points), who found some rhythm for the Wolverines.
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But it didn’t help that Michigan was scoreless from beyond the arc, shooting just 37% from the field. Meanwhile, UConn didn’t do itself any favors either.
The Huskies shot just 33% in the first half, with Alex Karaban hitting two of his five three-point attempts. Solo Ball, who was seen in a walking boot entering the game with “some kind of foot sprain,” according to head coach Dan Hurley, had eight points on 3-of-4 from the field.
While they were down, UConn certainly played the type of game they wanted against Michigan – a tough game, especially on the glass. Michigan has shown its ability to take momentum and sprint with it offensively, dominating opponents all year long, including this NCAA tournament.
Yaxel Lendeborg of the Michigan Wolverines dribbles in the first half against the UConn Huskies in the national championship of the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 6, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
However, the Huskies know that their ability to scratch and scratch for 40 minutes allows them to never let an opponent feel comfortable. Just ask the Duke Blue Devils what happened in the Final Four.
The Huskies had the same demeanor in the second half, although it didn’t help that they took a page out of the Wolverines’ playbook in the first half – they couldn’t find the shot from range. UConn was desperate to hit a three-pointer, but despite open looks, they couldn’t get one to fall as Michigan’s lead eventually ballooned to 11 points after Cadeau finally broke the seal for his team on the opposite end, burying a three-pointer for a double-digit lead.
But Hurley fired up the crowd as the Huskies never stopped, cutting the lead to five with less than nine minutes left in the game. But after shaking his head on the bench when he didn’t play the game he hoped for in the national championship, Lendeborg stepped up when he checked in again.
Lendeborg saw a sweet pass from Cadeau in transition and got the lead back to 11 with a tough layup, making it 56-45 with less than six minutes left. He would also chip in with two more points on a Braylon Mullins three-pointer.
Once again, the Huskies would not quit as Mullins finally found his shot beyond the arc, knocking Michigan’s lead back to single digits with a follow-up three-pointer again to Lendeborg’s layups. But as hard as the Huskies played, the Wolverines always seemed to have the answer in this hard-fought contest.
UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley reacts during the first half of the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game against the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 6, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
A key example of that was after Karaban buried a three-pointer to cut the Michigan lead to six, Trey McKenney stepped back and drilled a 26-footer with 1:49 left in the game to get the lead back to nine points. The Wolverines faithful in the crowd went ballistic, knowing how much that basket meant considering what UConn has been able to do in this tournament.
With 37 seconds left in the game, Ball got some help from the backboard, making a three-pointer to cut the lead to 67-63 for the Wolverines. Roddy Gayle Jr. made things more interesting in this game as he failed to knock down his two free throw attempts for Michigan. But Karaban didn’t have another three-pointer in him, falling short with 13 seconds left.
That was it for UConn’s desperation attempt, and Michigan celebrated their victory.
In the box score, Cadeau led all scorers with 19 points on 5-of-11 shooting and 8-of-9 from the free throw line. Lendeborg was just 4-of-13, though he still had 13 points. Johnson also had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Wolverines.
Cadeau was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
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Michigan was just 2-of-15 from the three-point line, and head coach Dusty May even noted after the game being dominated on the glass as they were outrebounded by UConn, 46-39.
However, the Huskies couldn’t find it offensively. Karaban finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, but shot just 4-of-14 and 3-of-10 from three-point territory. Tarris Reed Jr. also had a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds, while Mullins, the hero against Duke with his half-court shot, was just 4-of-17 for 11 points.
