INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan completed one of college basketball’s most remarkable turnarounds Monday night, defeating UConn 69-63 to win the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball championship and end the Big Ten Conference’s 26-year title drought. The victory marked the Wolverines’ first national championship since 1989 and delivered coach Dusty May a title in just his second season at the helm.
“This team’s just found a way all season,” said May, who was visibly emotional after the final buzzer. “They have a love, trust, respect amongst themselves.” Star forward Yaxel Lendeborg added: “We’re the hardest-playing team. We’re the best team in college basketball.”
Point guard Elliot Cadeau led the Wolverines with 19 points and earned Most Outstanding Player honors for his performances throughout the Final Four. The junior made 8 of 9 free throws and helped Michigan secure the victory despite shooting just 2-of-15 from three-point range as a team.
Playing before 70,720 fans at Lucas Oil Stadium—the largest attendance for an NCAA championship game—Michigan withstood multiple UConn rallies to capture the program’s second national title in history.
The defensive struggle saw both teams combine to shoot just 22.9% from three-point range, barely better than UConn’s 2011 championship game performance against Butler.
The championship ended a painful 26-year drought for the Big Ten Conference, which last celebrated a men’s basketball title when Tom Izzo led Michigan State to victory in 2000.
Since that Michigan State championship, six different Big Ten teams had reached the title game but went a combined 0-7 before Monday night’s breakthrough.
May’s recruiting masterpiece centered around landing Lendeborg, who passed up a potential late first-round NBA draft selection to join Michigan for a seven-figure NIL deal. “Being in this situation, I’ve had the best year of my life,” Lendeborg said before the tournament began.
The 6-foot-9 forward played through significant pain Monday after spraining his left MCL and rolling his ankle in Saturday’s semifinal victory over Arizona, but said there was no way he would miss the title game.
Despite his limitations, Lendeborg provided crucial baskets down the stretch, including a bucket that put Michigan up 11 with 5:44 remaining and a tip-in of his own miss to maintain the lead.
May, who signed a five-year, $3.75 million annual contract when hired in March 2024, rebuilt Michigan’s roster almost entirely through the transfer portal. In his first month as head coach, he secured seven roster commitments in just five days.
The championship made history as Michigan became the first NCAA champion with all five starters transferring into the program, reflecting the evolving landscape of college basketball.
Critics who labeled the approach as assembling “mercenaries” found little sympathy from the players. “He did a good job recruiting guys that care for each other and put the team above themselves,” Lendeborg said. “If that’s what they want to call a ‘mercenary,’ I would love to be a mercenary.”
Michigan entered the championship game having achieved a historic feat—becoming the first team ever to score at least 90 points in each of its first five NCAA tournament games.
But UConn’s defense effectively slowed the Wolverines’ explosive offense, forcing Michigan to win with grit rather than style. Michigan had averaged over 90 points while compiling eight or more blocks in four of their first five tournament games.
UConn mounted a final charge, cutting the deficit to four points with 37 seconds remaining when Solo Ball hit a three-pointer. But Michigan’s Roddy Gayle Jr. missed two free throws, and Alex Karaban couldn’t connect on a three-pointer that would have made it a one-point game. Karaban led UConn with 17 points.
For May, the victory represented a full-circle moment. The 49-year-old Indiana native served as a student manager under Bob Knight at Indiana University from 1996-2000, and called returning to Indianapolis for the Final Four “surreal.”
After the victory, May told his wife Anna: “This is the epitome of it all,” reflecting on their journey from high school sweethearts in rural Indiana to college basketball’s pinnacle.
May reportedly informed university officials he will not pursue other opportunities, ending speculation about North Carolina’s coaching search. His focus now shifts to roster retention, with Lendeborg expected to declare for the NBA Draft while other key players weigh their options.