Men’s NCAA national championship takeaways: Big Ten wins first national title since 2000

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.

Basketball 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.

Basketball 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.

He added another bucket off an offensive rebound midway through the second half, extending Michgan’s lead to 50-41.

Johnson was a steady presence in the front court throughout March Madness, averaging 12.8 points and eight rebounds per game and bookending the tourney with double-doubles. With 2025-26 Big Ten Player of the Year forward Yaxel Lendeborg hobbled in the championship tilt due to a sprained left MCL and ankle injury, Johnson needed a big game. He delivered.

Basketball Decisive stat: Michigan at the foul line

UConn played its style of basketball on Monday, accentuating its defense and offensive rebounding to nearly pull off the upset after entering the game as a 6.5-point underdog. Overall, Michigan shot just 38 percent from the court, including 13 percent (2-of-15) from beyond the arc. It marked the team’s worst field goal percentage and fewest made threes in a game all season.

The Huskies also crashed the offensive glass, finishing with 22 offensive rebounds. Entering Monday, the most offensive boards Michigan allowed were 17 in the Elite Eight against the Tennessee Volunteers.

Several metics played to Connecticut’s favor, but one area Michigan overwhelmed its counterpart was at the foul line. The Wolverines finished 25-of-28 on free throws, compared to 12-of-16 for the Huskies. Per Stathead, Michigan’s 25 made free throws tied for the third-most in the national final since 1985 with UConn (2004).

Considering the Wolverines’ struggles elsewhere, their success at the line was vital to securing victory. They wouldn’t be celebrating their second national title without it.