⏪ How Michigan won the NCAA championship

07.04.2026, 08:15 espn.com

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Michigan Wolverines ended the Big Ten's 26-year men's basketball championship drought Monday, leading much of their title matchup against UConn and winning 69-63 to end the Huskies' quest for a third title in four seasons.

ESPN college basketball reporters Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf were on-site to break down how the 2026 NCAA championship was decided.

Jump to: Relive every moment

How Michigan won: UConn controlled the tempo early, holding its own on the backboards, and got a boost from Michigan's shooting struggles. The first 15 minutes of the game mostly trended in the Huskies' direction -- they kept Michigan out of transition, with the Wolverines having zero fast-break points in the first half. Their leading scorer, Yaxel Lendeborg, looked a shell of his All-American self, going just 1-for-5 from the field despite playing all 20 minutes in the first half.

The momentum began to shift in the final minutes before the break, though. It started on a hook-and-hold call against Alex Karaban with 3:16 to go until halftime, and that jump-started a 6-0 run for Michigan in 46 seconds. That became a 10-4 surge to give Michigan a 33-29 lead entering the break.

Less than four minutes into the second half, the Wolverines' lead grew to seven, their largest lead to that point, on Elliot Cadeau's three-point play as Solo Ball picked up his fourth foul. The Huskies had gone cold offensively, and Michigan, inevitably, started getting more efficient on offense. The Huskies were teetering and looked out of answers.

Entering the final four minutes of the game, UConn was 5-for-21 on its first-shot offense in the second half, per ESPN Research, and the Huskies were 1-for-9 on shots contested by Aday Mara. Michigan's size and length around the rim -- four blocks after halftime -- were a major deterrent.

UConn had another opportunity to cut the lead to four with two minutes left but failed to convert a transition opportunity. -- Borzello

Pivotal moment: Trey McKenney's late 3-pointer

After UConn cut Michigan's lead to six points on Karaban's 3-pointer in the final minutes, McKenney answered with a 3-pointer to extend his team's lead to nine points with less than two minutes to play. It was a deflating moment for the Huskies and an exhilarating shot for the Wolverines, who had battled adversity throughout the game. They had struggled to defend UConn's shifty guards, who kept running off screens to get open looks. But McKenney's 3-pointer seemed to seal the national championship for the Wolverines.

With Lucas Oil Stadium packed with Michigan fans, McKenney's 3-pointer swung the momentum in his team's favor for good. -- Medcalf

Pivotal player: Morez Johnson Jr.

The Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, Cadeau, certainly has a case here. But while Cadeau was on the bench with foul trouble in the first half, Aday Mara was struggling to get into a rhythm against UConn's smaller lineup and Lendeborg was battling a knee injury, Johnson anchored his team.

He was blocking and contesting shots while also guarding every position on UConn's roster. He was the main reason that Michigan could switch on ball screens against the Huskies. Johnson was everywhere. His ability to guard shooters at the 3-point line and challenge shots around the rim was the deciding factor in the outcome. And that was just his defense (two blocks, one steal) -- he also had a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds).

In every way, Johnson held this team together Monday night. -- Medcalf