The Michigan Wolverines men’s basketball are back on top of college basketball after a hard-fought 69-63 win over the UConn Huskies men’s basketball in the NCAA championship game on Monday night in Indianapolis. The victory ends a 35-year title drought, marking the program’s first national championship since 1989.
Michigan entered the tournament as one of the most dominant teams in the country and carried that momentum all the way to the final. The Wolverines controlled much of the championship game, leading for most of the night and relying on physical play to wear down UConn.
“It still doesn’t feel real,” Wolverines head coach Dusty May said during the trophy presentation. “These guys have done it all year.”
The difference showed in the details. Michigan attacked the paint and drew fouls consistently, attempting 28 free throws compared to UConn’s 16. Inside scoring also tilted heavily in Michigan’s favor, with a 36-22 advantage in the paint.
Junior guard Elliot Cadeau led the charge with 19 points and delivered under pressure throughout the tournament. Senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg added 13 points, while sophomore Morez Johnson Jr. chipped in 12.
Cadeau’s impact went beyond the final. He was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player after averaging 16.0 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds across the last 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.”
UConn, chasing its third championship in four years, struggled offensively from the start. The Huskies shot just 31% from the field, with key contributors unable to find rhythm. Alex Karaban, Tarris Reed Jr., and Braylon Mullins combined for 41 points but shot only 30.2% overall.
“It’s hard to be disappointed in your team when they fight so hard,” UConn head coach Dan Hurley said postgame.
The Huskies made a late push, cutting the lead to four in the final minute, but Michigan stayed composed and closed out the game from the free-throw line.
This championship adds a new chapter to Michigan’s history, which includes multiple near-misses. The program finished as runner-up in 1992, 1993, 2013, and 2018, making this long-awaited victory even more meaningful.
