Michigan has been crowned champion and completed an impressive March Madness journey. The Wolverines prevailed over UConn in the final in an intense duel.
The Michigan Wolverines have been crowned 2026 NCAA champions with a 69-63 win over the UConn Huskies. It is Michigan’s first title since 1989 and only the second in program history. At the same time, the Wolverines ended the dominance of UConn, which had hoped for its third title in four years.
Michigan struggled offensively for a long time, especially from the three-point line. It was not until midway through the second half that the first long-range shot was made – at a time when the game was threatening to tip over. Elliot Cadeau took responsibility at precisely this moment and led his team with 19 points, while Yaxel Lendeborg contributed 13 important points despite knee problems.
Injury worries ahead of the final – Karaban’s era ends
The game was also characterized by injury worries on both sides. Lendeborg played despite knee and ankle problems, as did UConn’s guard Solo Ball with a foot injury. Ball, however, had early foul trouble and only got 17 minutes of playing time. UConn lacked the offensive consistency in the decisive phases to turn the game around.
This marks the end of an era for UConn around Alex Karaban, who played his last game for the Huskies. The forward was part of several final teams, but had to admit defeat this time. German big man Eric Reibe also made a brief appearance, but failed to record a statistic in five minutes.
Michigan, on the other hand, crowns a remarkable development: just two years after a season with fewer than ten wins, the Wolverines are now back at the top of college basketball.