For a moment, it looked as if the Michigan Wolverines would get flashbacks of coming up short in the biggest stage of the NCAA tournament. The Wolverines were 1-6 in previous national championship games, with their sole win coming in 1989. That aside, it was disappointment after disappointment for Michigan and the 2026 edition of March (and well, April) Madness could have gone in that direction as well.  

The Wolverines had averaged 94.4 points throughout their tournament run and were not even close to half of that by halftime. The pace was more to the liking of the UConn Huskies, who sought space, shooting, and found ways to outrebound a taller Michigan squad. Despite the Wolverines entering as the favorite, the Huskies had championship experience thanks to winning two of the last three NCAA titles. Things were going as planned for UConn, but Michigan continued to fight. 

The Wolverines settled down in the second half, making the most out of their size advantage by punishing UConn’s defenders and thus negating the 3-point shooting of the Huskies. Rather than light up the scoreboard, Michigan was out to give the Huskies a taste of their own medicine, using their defense to stymie UConn and went through the frontcourt to create shot opportunities for their backcourt. When the dust settled, it was an unconventional win by the Wolverine’s standards, but it was a win they’d gladly take.

It was a long climb to the summit for Michigan, one that may have looked easy on paper but still had to be done on the court. This was for the likes of the Fab Five, Trey Burke, Mitch McGary, Nik Stauskas, Mo Wagner, Duncan Robinson, former head coach John Beilein, and the rest of the former Wolverines, who went close, but weren’t close enough. 

For head coach Dusty May, this pretty much secures his legacy in Michigan. In two seasons, he has led a turnaround and built a program that not only maximizes the current trends of the sport, but also one that should age well despite the potential roster turnover. At least a handful of Wolverines will be leaving the team, and the likes of Most Outstanding Player Elliot Cadeau, Aday Mara, and even Trey McKenney could leave school early for the NBA. 

But winning games and clinching championships is a boon for recruiting and help is on the way. Brandon McCoy Jr. helped give the Wolverines one of its best recruiting classes in recent memory and this likely won’t be the last. 

Last February 22, the Michigan Wolverines suffered a 68-63 loss to the Duke Blue Devils in what was billed as a test for the Blue Devils in their bid for the NCAA title. It’s thus fitting that the Wolverines were able to do what Duke failed to achieve this season: beat the Huskies in the NCAA Tournament and win the title. Hail to the Victors indeed.