National champs! Michigan beats UConn to complete title run.

James Hawkins, The Detroit News on Apr 6, 2026

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INDIANAPOLIS — Nobody said winning a national title was going to be easy.

An offensive grind from start to finish. A first half without a single made jumper. A version of Yaxel Lendeborg that was less than 100%.

No. 1 seed Michigan, like it has all season long, found a way to overcome it all and push past No. 2 seed UConn, 69-63, in Monday’s NCAA Tournament final at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Elliot Cadeau had 19 points and Morez Johnson Jr. had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Michigan (37-3), which shot a season-low 38.2% from the field and finished 2 for 15 from deep but went 25 for 28 at the free-throw line.

Lendeborg, who suffered an ankle and knee injury in Saturday’s national semifinal win over Arizona, started but clearly wasn’t himself. He still finished with 13 points.

It marked the second national championship in program history and snapped a string of four consecutive losses in the title game since Michigan won it all in 1989. The Wolverines also ended the Big Ten’s national title drought – one that dated to 2000, when Michigan State won it – and tied 2005 Illinois for the most victories by a Big Ten team in a season.

The Wolverines led by four at halftime despite not making a shot outside the paint. That trend continued out of the break as they added to their lead.

Cadeau drew UConn guard Solo Ball’s fourth foul at the 16:20 mark on an and-1 layup. A minute later, Lendeborg scored on an and-1 finish in the lane. Michigan took a 41-33 lead over UConn, which had five turnovers over a five-minute stretch.

The Wolverines finally broke the seal when Trey McKenney made Michigan’s first shot outside the paint on a step-back jumper at the 14:22 mark. Cadeau soon followed with Michigan’s first 3-pointer on its 11th attempt from deep to make it 48-37, forcing a UConn timeout with 12:47 to play.

Michigan’s defense, meanwhile, turned it up a notch. Johnson swatted a floater in the lane. Lendeborg blocked a shot from behind at the rim. Johnson pinned another layup attempt on the glass on an inbounds play. UConn made just one field goal over a four-minute stretch.

After UConn cut the deficit to five, Michigan turned defense into offense. A steal by Nimari Burnett led to a fast-break that ended with Aday Mara throwing down an alley-oop slam. That sparked a 6-0 burst that put the Wolverines up, 56-45, with 5:44 to play.

UConn cut the deficit to six on a 3-pointer by Alex Karaban with 2:30 to go before McKenney provided the dagger during a pivotal five-point swing. The Huskies forced a live-ball turnover but couldn’t convert at the rim in transition. McKenney hit a step-back 3 the other way to make it 65-56 at the 1:50 mark.

UConn made a last-gasp push. Following a Michigan turnover, the Huskies cut it to four on a 3-pointer by Ball (11 points) with 37 seconds to go. But after Roddy Gayle Jr. missed two free throws, UConn came up empty on its ensuing possession, Michigan secured the board and McKenney made two free throws with 13 ticks left to seal it.

Karaban scored 17, Braylon Mullins 11 and Tarris Reed Jr., the former Wolverine who spent two seasons in Ann Arbor, had 13 points and 14 rebounds for UConn (34-6). The Huskies shot a season-low 30.9% from the field as they fell to 6-1 all-time in national title games.

The first half played out much like UConn wanted, with the game being played in the halfcourt at a slower pace and with both sides grinding out possessions in a low-scoring rock fight.

Throughout the first half, Michigan did its damage inside and at the line. Johnson scored at rim against a mismatch in the paint and on an offensive putback. Cadeau scored five straight, including three free throws after drawing a foul on a 3-point shot. Despite Lendeborg not being involved much early on, the Wolverines grabbed a 9-4 lead four minutes into the contest.

Even though both of UConn’s starting guards, Silas Demary Jr. and Ball, picked up two fouls in the first eight minutes, the Huskies used the deep ball to pull in front. UConn hit the first three 3-pointers of the game, including one from the corner by Karaban following an offensive rebound, to take a 16-13 lead with 10:23 left in the first half.

But it was an offensive struggle for several stretches. UConn made just three shots over the final 9:05 of the half. Michigan had a seven-minute span where it made one basket but stayed afloat at the free-throw line due to UConn’s troubles to defend without fouling.

The Wolverines couldn’t knock down a single jump shot. All of Michigan’s 33 first-half points came in the paint (22) and at the free-throw line (11). It didn’t help that Cadeau picked up his second foul at the 6:24 mark and Lendeborg didn’t score his first points until seven seconds later when he made two foul shots when Michigan was in the bonus.

Despite all that, a hook-and-hold call on Karaban after a video review sparked a late run. The Wolverines turned that into a four-point possession with Lendeborg scoring his first basket at the rim. Roddy Gayle Jr. threw down a putback jam off a missed layup. Michigan went up five before taking a 33-29 lead into the break.