The Michigan Wolverines are back on top.
For the first time since 1989, Michigan is the men’s college basketball national champion after defeating the Connecticut Huskies, 69-63, in Monday’s national championship.
Below is our instant reaction as the 2025-26 season comes to a close.
Key takeaway: Big Ten ends title drought, expands NCAA dominion
College sports run through the Big Ten. One day after the UCLA Bruins won the conference’s first women’s basketball national title since the Purdue Boilermakers in 1999 and three months after the Indiana Hoosiers won the Big Ten’s third consecutive college football championship, Michigan added to the trophy collection.
Its win over UConn gave the conference its first men’s college basketball national title since 2000, when the Michigan State Spartans won it all in coach Tom Izzo’s fifth season.
The Big Ten has become the clear top power conference of the transfer portal era, and the gap may be widening.
Game MVP: Michigan forward Morez Johnson Jr.
Guard Elliot Cadeau led the Wolverines with 19 points, but Johnson was arguably their most impactful player, posting a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds) in the win while adding two blocks and a steal.
He was particularly impactful on the offensive glass, where he collected five rebounds. Early in the first half, Johnson cleaned the boards with a put-back off a missed three-pointer and a layup.