Michigan Takes Home Their First March Madness Title Since 1989

On April 6, the University of Michigan Wolverines took on the University of Connecticut Huskies in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. This March Madness Championship was the most-watched March Madness game since 2019, with 18.3 million viewers across the globe, and it was an end to Michigan’s 37-year-long drought in the tournament.

Michigan, throughout the NCAA tournament, plowed through opponents with a combined plus-114 margin, the seventh-highest in tournament history. UConn in 2024 holds the highest margin of plus 140 points altogether. 

Entering the game, UConn was 6-0 all-time in the NCAA championship contests, making them the best record of all time (you have to have a minimum of five games played to be judged upon the win-loss record). 

The game was all about defense and 50/50 balls for the Wolverines. They shot a low percentage of 38.2% from the field and were offline from behind the arc, ending with 2/15 three pointers made. But none of that mattered as they leashed the Huskies for their remarkable victory. 

Michigan was led by its point guard, Elliot Cadeau, who achieved a game-high of 19 points and won the Final Four’s most outstanding player award. The Wolverines fought hard in the first half as they tried to stop a typical UConn run that resulted in losses for many other teams in the tournament. But not for Michigan. They came out of the half with their feet on the gas as they built their own lead to 11 points.

UConn trailed for the majority of the second half, trying to slowly claw its way back. Eventually, Solo Ball, UConn’s star guard, grabbed a steal and drained a three on the other end of the court while his teammate Tarris Reed Jr. hit a few free throws to bring the game back to four points with just 37 seconds left on the clock.

With hope of making the comeback happen still Dan Hurley, UConn’s head coach, advised his players to foul immediately. A strategy often seen in close games with short amounts of time because it takes less time off the clock and gets the ball back into your team’s hands faster. The Huskies did as told, fouling Michigan’s Roddy Gayle Jr., sending him to the line.

Gayle Jr. missed both free throws, and UConn raced down the court, desperate to score, but Alex Karaban’s three-pointer was offline as it scraped the front end of the rim. Michigan fought for the rebound, securing it while getting fouled, sending their very own Trey McKenney to the line. He sank both and ended UConn’s hope for their comeback. 

Overall, Michigan ended its 25-26 season 37-3 and became the first Big Ten team to win a national championship since 2000, which ended the eight-game losing streak the Big Ten League had accumulated.