Michigan wins national championship: Wolverines outlast UConn to earn first title since 1989

INDIANAPOLIS -- Less than an hour after the 2026 national title game ended, Michigan Wolverines guard Elliot Cadeau was feeling himself. He had every reason to after having one of the best performances of his lengthy and turbulent career.

Just over a year after a split with North Carolina Tar Heels, Cadeau was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after finishing with 19 points in his team's 69-63 win over Connecticut Huskies on Monday, concluding one of the best redemption stories of the transfer portal era.

So, when it was time to send a message to his doubters amid all the criticism he had faced since he arrived at North Carolina during his freshman season in 2023, he was ready to clap back.

Big Blue redemption: Michigan's Elliot Cadeau completes his arc with Most Outstanding Player performance

Cameron Salerno

Not only did Michigan Wolverines end its 37-year national championship drought Monday night in Indianapolis, outlasting UConn 69-63 in the title game, the Wolverines did so in one of the most commanding NCAA Tournament runs in modern history. Michigan finished with a combined plus-114 point margin in the tournament, the seventh-highest total ever by a national champion and sixth-best since the field expanded in 1985.

The Wolverines capped off their remarkable run by overcoming a program and coach that had dominated March and April. UConn entered the title game 6-0 all-time in national championship contests, while Dan Hurley -- on the cusp of a dynasty -- was 11-0 beyond the second round of the NCAA Tournament with the Huskies.

Michigan's tournament performance ranks among the most dominant of any national champion in the modern era. Even with the offense struggling in the title game, the Wolverines still reached an impressive mark of 541 total points in the NCAA Tournament, the second-most by a national champion behind only 1990 UNLV Rebels. 

Michigan's tear through the NCAA Tournament bracket ranks among greatest March Madness runs of all time

Cody Nagel

The Michigan Wolverines have completed one of the most impressive seasons in modern history, winning 37 games and claiming the program's second national championship with a 69-63 win against Connecticut Huskies in Monday night's national championship game. 

Dusty May's two-year turnaround, taking the Wolverines to the top of the sport, is a warning shot for the rest of college basketball. Not only did Michigan snap the Big Ten's 26-year drought without a national title, but the Wolverines broke through by taking out arguably the most successful tournament team of the 21st Century. 

WATCH: 'One Shining Moment' after Michigan wins 2026 NCAA Tournament championship to complete March Madness

Chip Patterson

Elliot Cadeau was honored as the 2026 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player following Michigan's national title win on Monday night. 

Below is a look at the 2026 All-Tournament Team as March Madness has come to a close with Cadeau and the Wolverines reigning as national champions. 

• Elliot Cadeau (MOP)
• Aday Mara
• Morez Johnson Jr.
• Tarris Reed Jr.
• Alex Karaban

For the first time in 26 years, a member of the Big Ten Conference has won the national title. Michigan State was the last school from the league to win college basketball's biggest prize. Ironically, Michigan State also won the title in Indianapolis. Purdue reached the title game in 2024 before running into the UConn juggernaut. This time, UConn was on the wrong side of not being the best team on the floor. The Big Ten has now captured national titles in football (Indiana), women's basketball (UCLA), and now men's basketball.

After hitting 5 of 15 shots from 3-point range in the first half to stay within striking distance of the cold Wolverines, UConn's perimeter effectiveness vanished after the break. The Huskies missed their first 11 3-pointers of the second half, a streak that continued all the way until the 5:23 mark when freshman Braylon Mullins finally broke the seal. Alex Karaban, who hit his first two triples of the night, missed his next six before finally hitting another at the 2:30 mark. 

The Huskies finally found some makes down the stretch -- sinking four 3-pointers over the final six minutes -- but an 11-point deficit was too great to cover. UConn entered at 6-0 when making 12 or more 3-pointers. That was a good minimum target against Michigan, but the Huskies fell well short of the mark, finishing 9 of 33.

The former North Carolina guard had himself a day on the biggest stage in the sport. It wasn't long ago when Alabama dared Cadeau to shoot the ball in the 2024 Sweet 16. Part of Alabama's game plan was to let Cadeau shoot from the 3-point line, and you couldn't blame the Crimson Tide for trying it. Cadeau shot just 18.9% from the 3-point line as a freshman. He has continued to work on his shooting, which has improved during his time at Michigan. He knocked down Michigan's first 3-pointer of the game, which gave the Wolverines their first double-digit lead of the night.

A fairly tight whistle worked against UConn as foul trouble mounted for the Huskies amid their efforts to bruise with a physically imposing Michigan team. Three starters picked up two fouls in the first half for the Huskies. As Michigan made a run late in the first half, Hurley opted to reinsert Solomon Ball and Tarris Reed Jr., even though both had two fouls. Ball promptly knocked down a 3-pointer. But on the other end, the Wolverines quickly attacked Reed inside via a post-up with 7-foot-3 Aday Mara. Reed had little choice but to stand motionless to avoid picking up his third foul as Mara drove around him for a bucket. After Reed picked up his third early in the second half, the Wolverines continued to go hard after Reed.

Furthermore, Solomon Ball picked up his third and fourth fouls in the opening minutes of the second half, relegating him to the bench for nearly ten minutes. His absence for a massive part of the second half contributed to UConn's cold shooting.

FINAL: (1) Michigan 69, (2) UConn 63

No. 1 seed Michigan defeated No. 2 seed UConn 69-63 to capture the 2026 national title. The Wolverines won their second national title in program history and the first since 1989 after denying the Huskies their third national championship in four seasons. Michigan is the first national champion from the Big Ten since Michigan State in 2000.

The Wolverines captured the title despite a cold start from the 3-point line. Michigan didn't knock down a 3-pointer until there were 12:56 remaining in the second half. Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau was the one who knocked down the shot.

Cadeau, a former North Carolina transfer, had one of his best games of the season on the biggest stage in the sport. He finished with 19 points and two assists, while Yaxel Lendeborg added 13 points.

One of the biggest storylines entering this game was injuries on both sides. UConn guard Solo Ball (foot sprain) and Lendeborg (knee) both got the start for their respective teams despite suffering injuries last weekend in the national semifinals. Ball dealt with foul trouble throughout the game and logged just 17 minutes.

UConn star Alex Karaban, a two-time national champion, played his final game with the program after one of the most successful individual careers of the modern era. Karaban helped UConn reach three national title games in four years, with the loss in between coming to eventual national champion Florida in the second round last year.

Michigan became the first team since Michigan State (1978-79) to win a national title two or fewer seasons removed from winning less than 10 games. Michigan went 8-24 during the 2023-24 campaign before hiring Dusty May away from Florida Atlantic. 

UConn is 2 for 13 from deep in the second half in a total reversal of the way things went in the first half, when the Wolverines were 0 for 8. It's remarkable the Huskies are still in this game considering how poorly they're shooting from beyond the arc. The game plan was always going to require, at minimum, 10 made 3-pointers. UConn is at only six after Braylon Mullins finally knocked down UConn's first of the second half with 5:21 remaining to cut Michigan's lead to 56-48.

MID 2H: (1) Michigan 52, (2) UConn 45

Every time it seems like Michigan is going to pull away, UConn responds. Michigan had made just one of its last nine field goal attempts before Aday Mara threw down a two-hand slam off an alley-oop. Only 7:16 remaining to decide a champion.

UConn is down to just two timeouts as it now faces its largest deficit of the game. The Huskies' shooting has not improved at all in the second half, and looks on the interior for Tarris Reed Jr. have mostly been of the contested variety against 7-foot-3 Aday Mara. What's also killing UConn is that it has attempted just six free throws compared to 16 for Michigan. Noting is coming easy for the Huskies, and it's not as if they can flip the switch and choose to play in transition. Doing so would only benefit Michigan.

EARLY 2H: (1) Michigan 48, (2) UConn 37

Michigan's lead is up to double-digits after Elliot Caeadu knocked down his team's first 3-pointer of the night. Cadeau is having himself an incredible game with 15 points and three assists. The former UNC guard is showing up on the big stage.

EARLY 2H: (1) Michigan 40, (2) UConn 33

Michigan is starting to find something. The Wolverines still haven't knocked down a 3-pointer, but an And-1 by Lendeborg out of the media timeout could stretch Michigan's lead to eight. Lendeborg has had an off game by his standards. He has six points. On that last play before the media timeout, Tarris Reed Jr. picked up his third foul.

UConn has contracted a case of the turnover bug early in the second half. The Huskies have coughed three times and are struggling to get good looks. The game's pace is also quickening in a way that will favor Michigan. Solomon Ball also just picked up his fourth foul.

Michigan All-American forward Yaxel Lendedorg came into Monday night's title game hobbled by knee and ankle injuries suffered in the Wolverines' semifinal win over Arizona. He played all 20 minutes in the first half against UConn, but scored just 4 points on 1-of-5 shooting. 

"I feel awful, I feel super weak right now, I can't make anything," Lendeborg told CBS Sports' Tracy Wolfson at halftime. "I'm trying to push through, obviously, because it's the championship game. I'm missing plays that I don't usually miss. I've had plenty of opportunity to take advantage of the smaller defender, but haven't been able to do it. I'm going to go in at half, try to be better and come out more aggressive."

UConn is trailing, but its plan is working. The Huskies needed this to be a grimy, slow game featuring limited transition possessions, and it is. Neither team has registered a fastbreak point. Given the foul trouble that UConn found itself in during the first half, things are going pretty well for the Huskies as they weathered a late surge from Michigan and trail just 33-29. It's hard to imagine Michigan will stay this cold from 3-point range, but UConn shot just 33.3% from the floor and has room to improve as well. Generally speaking, the way this game is being played suggests UConn can win.

HALF: (1) Michigan 33, (2) UConn 29

No. 1 seed Michigan leads No. 2 seed UConn 33-29 at halftime of the national title game. The first half of the final game of the 2025-26 college basketball season featured eight ties and six lead changes.

UConn has shot the ball well from the 3-point line (5 of 15), while Michigan missed all nine of its attempts. The difference in this game so far is Michigan winning the battle inside the paint. The Wolverines scored 22 points in the paint, compared to just eight for UConn.

One of the biggest storylines entering this game was injuries on both sides. UCon guard Solo Ball (foot sprain) got the start but logged just 10 minutes in the first half. Meanwhile, Yaxel Lendeborg (knee) missed his first three field goals before scoring late in the half.

The MVP so far on either side has been Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr. The Wolverines are making an effort to feed the ball inside when he has a mismatch against UConn veteran forward Alex Karaban. Only 20 minutes remain this season. A champion is close to being crowned. 

As Michigan surged ahead 29-25, Dan Hurley called a timeout and went to confer with his assistant coaches. They sent Tarris Reed and Solo Ball to the scorers table with 2:24 remaining in the first half. Both of them have two fouls, but this isn't the game to play it safe when it comes to the foul trouble game. Michigan looked ready to eat the Huskies alive there. Wise timeout from Hurley amid a 6-0 surge from the Wolverines.

UConn star center Tarris Reed Jr. has two fouls and is on the bench. Will Dan Hurley leave him there for the rest of the half? Brutal situation as the Huskies lack frontcourt depth. Freshman center Eric Reibe is getting more run in this half than Hurley certainly would have imagined. It's why he was so incensed when Reed got called for an offensive foul a few possessions back. He knows how important Reed's presence on the floor is to the Huskies having a chance.

LATE 1H: (2) UConn 25, (1) Michigan 23

Michigan is trying to force turnovers by going with a full-court trap. So far, it hasn't worked. UConn is breaking the press and getting open looks with advantages on the other end. Another notable note: Yaxel Lendeborg has just two points. He has missed his first two field goal attempts.

UConn guard Malachi Smith may have gotten away with a travel just a minute ago as Michigan ramps up its pressure defense. But his hop/skip went uncalled, and he found Braylon Mullins on the right wing for a go-ahead 3. Michigan coach Dusty May put his hands on his head in disbelief at the no-call. Nonetheless, if the purpose of Michigan's pressure defense is to get this game moving a little bit, it worked.

MID 1H: (2) UConn 18, (1) Michigan 17

Michigan has missed its first five attempts from beyond the arc. The Wolverines are winning the battle inside the paint, but the misses are starting to add up from the 3-point line. Fourteen of Michigan's 17 points are in the paint.

UConn senior forward Alex Karaban entered just 2 of 13 from beyond the arc over his previous two games. But the veteran forward is off to a hot start in this one. He's drilled both his 3-point looks, including one from each side of the floor. His latest gave UConn the lead midway through the first half.

EARLY 1H: (1) Michigan 11, (2) UConn 10

Through the first eight minutes, UConn is 2 of 4 from the 3-point line and 2 of 6 from 2. Karaban and Solo Ball have both knocked down a 3-pointer so far. Meanwhile, Michigan has missed its first three shots from beyond the arc.

EARLY 1H: (1) Michigan 9, (2) UConn 4

Michigan can sense the mismatch with Alex Karaban on Morez Johnson Jr. Michigan is making an effort to feed Johnson in the post against UConn's most experienced player and it's working. Johnson has four quick points.

There is no such thing as a bad starter when you reach a stage as grand as the national championship game. All 10 players who will be introduced at Lucas Oil Stadium before Monday night's showdown between No. 1 seed Michigan and No. 2 seed UConn bring something unique to the table. But some are obviously teeming with more star power than others, and even the slightest weaknesses of anyone in the lineup could be magnified on college basketball's biggest stage.

As Monday's big showdown approaches, here's an informed stab at ranking the 10 starters in the national title game.

March Madness 2026: Ranking every Michigan and UConn starter for the national championship game from 1-10

David Cobb

If I had to take a guess, this crowd is at least 75-80% Michigan fans. It's going to be a de facto home game for the Wolverines.

Monday night's national title game tilt between No. 1 seed Michigan and No. 2 seed UConn will mark a fitting conclusion to the 2025-26 season as dominant Wolverines seek to prevent Huskies from winning their third championship in four years. Michigan reached this point with a ruthlessly efficient run while UConn soldiered through some ups and downs to reach the precipice of a true dynasty. Here are the game predictions from the March Madness 360 crew.

Michigan's raw size is a problem, but in this matchup, it could create some problems in the screen navigation department. Michigan's terrifying four-man Morez Johnson is all of 6-feet-9 and 250 pounds. If Johnson gets the Alex Karaban assignment, the Michigan big man will have to get skinny to zoom around all the screens and stay attached to a career 38% 3-point shooter who enters Monday's National Championship due for an explosion. Karaban is just 2 for 13 from downtown in the last two games.