Michigan halts UConn’s hopes of a dynasty and claim their 1st National Championship since 1989
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Posted By: Jordan Davis on April 08, 2026 ESPN’s Rece Davis began Monday Night’s SportsCenter broadcast saying, “It’s the Big Ten’s World, and we’re just all living in it,” spotlighting the dominance in the conference across collegiate sports so far in 2026. As we’ve been witness to the Indiana Hoosiers win the College Football Playoff, see the UCLA Bruins shellac the program that is arguably the standard for Women’s College Basketball currently in the South Carolina Gamecocks to win their very 1st National Championship on Sunday, and on Monday watch as the Michigan Wolverines led by 2nd year Head Coach Dusty May and National All American Yaxel Lendeborg stand atop the College Basketball world as National Champs for the first time in 37 years with a 69-63 victory over Dan Hurley’s pesky UConn Huskies who were seeking their 3rd title in 4 years. Despite being a storied program that has housed iconic teams and players like The Fab Five featuring Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson , along with Glen Rice, and Jamal Crawford amongst others, Michigan did not have the hardware or success in championship games the way a Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, or the team they defeated tonight, UConn had. When you look at the Fab Five who took the College Basketball Audience by storm and changed the way the game is looked at today on the collegiate level, or the previously mentioned Rice and Crawford, Jordan Poole, Tim Hardaway Jr, Duncan Robinson, Franz and Moritz Wagner or even great stars at Michigan who may not have panned out in the league like Trey Burke, Mitch McGary, or Nik Stauskas they all were unable to capture a National Title. Michigan coming into Monday night was just 1-6 in National Championship contests, which already seemed like a daunting enough obstacle for May’s team to overcome without factoring in the fact that UConn was a perfect 6-0 in such games, with the coach he’d be facing tonight responsible for 2 of those wins with his eyes on a 3rd. “If UConn wins, Danny Hurley is going to be on the Mount Rushmore (of coaches),” said NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley before the game. And there’s no reason not to think that was (and very well could still be in the future) not at stake Monday, given his already legendary resume at the school. In a time where we have Hall of Fame Coaches in the sport like Tom Izzo (at Michigan St for 31 years), or Jim Boeheim (at Syracuse for 47 years), and John Calipari, who (between UMass, Memphis, Kentucky and now Arkansas has coached collegiate ball for 33 years) are all amazing leaders for the sport and helped bring it to where it is now, but still only have 1 title each, Dan Hurley went back to back for the first time since Billy Donovan’s Florida Gators in ‘06 and ‘07, in his short amount of time he already surpassed the legends of the sport I just mentioned in championships while tying other giants in college basketball like Bill Self, Rick Pitino, Jay Wright, and even the great Dean Smith in titles in much shorter time. Add in the fact that Hurley had Alex Karaban, a Senior Forward who was on both National Championship winning teams in ‘23 and ‘24 respectively, along with Transfer Big Man Tarris Reed Jr. who’s - arguably been the Huskies best player this tournament, and Freshman Guard Braylon Mullins who will forever be immortalized in the history of March Madness because of his game winning shot against Duke in the Elite 8, and this team could very much finish the season hoisting another trophy with Hurley at the helm. Early on, Michigan’s size dictated the game, scoring 14 of their first 17 points in the paint, highlighted by big contributions from Sophomore Forward Morez Johnson Jr, and Junior Big Man Aday Mara, whose 26 points and 9 rebounds led the blowout of Arizona at the hands of the Wolverines in the Final Four on Saturday. The timely shooting of Karaban and Mullens, along with the stifling defense of the Huskies, had them right in this game, though. Forcing a period in the 1st half where Michigan had only 6 points in 8 minutes of game time, and another where Michigan had missed 8 of their last 9 field goal attempts, and this was just the type of game that Hurley thrives in. Michigan was nursing a 31-28 lead with 33.5 seconds remaining in the half, when a Lendeborg missed layup in transition set up, maybe the play of the National Championship when Senior Roddy Gayle Jr. slammed down a putback dunk that put an exclamation point on just how dominant Michigan was inside in the 1st half. In the second half, Michigan Junior Point Guard Elliot Cadeau took over when, with 16:27 remaining, the Final Four Most Outstanding Player grabbed the rebound from a Mullens miss and took it all the way to the rack for a tough and-1, making the lead 38-31 for Michigan. Michigan finally found its stroke, and UConn's missed shots threatened to get out of reach for the Huskies, but their hustle on the offensive boards kept them alive, with six offensive rebounds in a matter of minutes, bringing the deficit to six for UConn with 13:42 to go. On a night where the big men had determined how the game was played, from offensive rebounds, putbacks, and points in the paint, it was 6’1 Cadeau whose star shined the brightest in the Natty when with the lead and the ball with 13:33 left, the Guard took it to the rack for the deuce making it an 8 point game for his side, then on the next possession after Michigan did not hit a 3-pointer in the 1st half at all, Cadeau pulled one at the top of the key with confidence making it an 11 point lead for his team. He finished with a game-high 19 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Like Duke found out 2 rounds earlier though, this UConn Huskies team does not go away cutting the lead to 6 before a huge 3 with less than 2 minutes to go from Freshman Guard Trey McKenney ballooned the lead back to 9, and the Wolverines never looked back as they lay claim to the National Championship and won the NCAA Tournament, finishing their season when you include the tournament games an impressive 37-3. National Champion winning Coach Dusty May opened the postgame presser, thanking last year’s team, along with his FAU staff and team, for being big influences and contributions to the championship that he’s won now. Final Four Most Outstanding Player Elliot Cadeau postgame said: “I’m just super proud of myself. How far I came from a year ago, 2 years ago to here. (It) just shows me that my hard work is paying off.” and after two seasons in Carolina that produced mixed results for the Tarheels, you can see the growth in Cadeau's game. On the Wolverines star player Yaxel Lendeborg, Coach May said “His journey is one of the most unique in the history of our sport.” and from Lendeborg’s first two years in Junior College, to his next two dominating the American Conference apart of UAB, to then transferring and having the season he had that delivered a banner to Ann Arbor and that will find himself going in the lottery of June’s NBA Draft, Coach May is right on the money. When you look at where the program was just 2 years ago finishing the season just 8-24 and at the bottom of the Big-Ten Conference to now standing atop the College Basketball world, to where Coach Dusty May started at Eastern Michigan to now National Champion at Michigan, to where Lendeborg, and Cadeau have been as written off to National Champions, to where Aday Mara, Roddy Gayle Jr, and so many other integral parts that made this National Championship team what it is. From where Michigan Basketball has been, from getting too close in the years 1992, 1993, 2013, and 2018, where they lost in the title game, this win for Michigan against a power like Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies is more than just about a trophy or a banner, but about a payoff that is overdue and earned. If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Jordan Davis
Camera Operator, Journalist, Broadcaster, and Host, University of the District of Columbia University of the District of Columbia class of 2025 Member Since February 2024 |
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