Michigan defeated UConn 69-63 in the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game on Monday night, ending a 26-year national championship drought for the Big Ten.
The Wolverines captured the second NCAA title in school history and its first since 1989.
Michigan had to fight for everything. The Wolverines missed their first 11 shots from 3, finished 2 for 15 from there and won despite the struggles of its best player, Yaxel Lendeborg. Struggling with an injured knee and foot that kept him from elevating, the graduate transfer from UAB finished with 13 points on 4-for-13 shooting.
UConn’s hopes at becoming the first team since John Wooden’s UCLA dynasty to win three titles in four seasons came up short, done in by major foul trouble and awful shooting. Coach Dan Hurley’s team shot 30.9% from the floor and missed its first 11 shots from 3 in the second half.
This was a championship built from outside the best team money could buy.
All five Wolverines starters played college ball elsewhere, and all but Nimari Burnett arrived this season. That’s the result of the transfer portal May has shown no reluctance to use. His ability to form a makeshift group into a winner is still the value of a coach and a culture.
Portal and NIL Talk
Throughout the NCAA Tournament I heard talk from media members and callers to Talk Radio that college athletics are broken. In terms of the actual games taking place, I say it’s never been better. The players are better than they’ve ever been. They are older and more talented as they are staying in school longer due to NIL money.
