NCAA men’s national championship: UConn v Michigan – live updates | NCAA Tournament 2026
Global game
Three German players are on the roster for tonight’s match. UConn has Eric Reibe and the well-traveled Dwayne Koroma who went from playing German club basketball, to American high school basketball, to Iona, to college, to Texas-Arlington, to LeMoyne and to UConn.
UConn’s bench includes Australian Jacob Furphy, while Michigan has New Zealander Oscar Goodman.
The foreign player who will play the biggest role tonight is Aday Mara, who spent two years at UCLA after moving across the ocean from Spain.
Who needs the best recruits?
Michigan’s freshman class includes two players on the ESPN Top 100: No. 20 Trey McKenney and No. 90 Winters Grady. Besides McKenney, the Wolverines’ highest-rated recruit in recent years was 2022 No. 34 Tarris Reed Jr., who now plays for UConn.
UConn also has two freshmen from last year’s Top 100: No. 17 Braylon Mullins, this tournament’s shooting star, and No. 23 Eric Reibe.
The top four scorers on this Michigan team are transfers – leading scorer Yaxel Lendeborg (UAB), point guard Elliot Cadeau (North Carolina), Morez Johnson (Illinois) and Aday Mara (UCLA).
And then there were two…
Will UConn’s Alex Karaban finish his college career with three championships in four years?
Will Michigan spoil former Wolverine Tarris Reed Jr.’s championship ambitions?
Will anyone jump into the transfer portal tomorrow morning?
An exciting college basketball season will come to an end in the next few hours. Let’s see what happens…
Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s what Bryan Armen Graham and Nicholas Levine think each team needs to do to cut down the nets in Indianapolis.
What must UConn do to win?
The Huskies must rely on discipline and patience to avoid getting drawn into a high-possession shootout. They need to execute their off-ball plays cleanly, force Michigan to defend throughout the shot clock and get efficient production from star center Tarris Reed Jr inside. If they can limit the Wolverines’ second-chance points and drill three in a timely manner, the upset is in store. BAG
Hit shots. UConn runs a diverse offense that forces opponents to guard the entire field, from three-man catch-and-shoots to deep throws. They are unlikely to score points consistently beyond Michigan’s size, so perimeter shooting becomes critical. Their off-ball movement will entice Michigan to chase, but it ultimately comes down to making shots. NL
What must Michigan do to win?
Impose their physicality and depth from the start. Michigan needs to turn its size advantage into second-chance points, push the pace when possible and protect the paint with 7-foot-3 Spaniard Aday Mara while letting point guard Elliot Cadeau do the cooking. If they defend UConn’s motion for full possession and get production from the entire roster, their balance and athleticism should carry the day through 40 minutes. BAG
Michigan can beat its opponents in several ways. In Saturday’s win over Arizona, they scored 26 points off turnovers and dominated the paint. They should hold a similar frontcourt advantage here. If Mara, Lendeborg and Johnson control the paint on both ends, Dusty May’s team will be well-positioned to bring down the nets. NL
