Imago
Via Imagn
Imago
Via Imagn
As confetti poured down and the Dusty May’s Wolverines celebrated their long-awaited title, the noise around their win quickly stretched beyond the court, so much so that even Barack Obama had to chime in.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
The basketball-loving Obama took to his X account shortly after Michigan’s title win and wrote:
“Congratulations to @CoachDustyMay, Elliot Cadeau, and @UMichBBall on winning their first title since 1989! This team dominated the tournament from start to finish. Well deserved. Go Blue!”
Top Stories
For coach May and his group, this wasn’t just another win; it was the culmination of a season that delivered on every expectation.
Congratulations to @CoachDustyMay, Elliot Cadeau, and @UMichBBall on winning their first title since 1989! This team dominated the tournament from start to finish. Well deserved. Go Blue! https://t.co/Z9hIq5Wrwa
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) April 7, 2026
The Wolverines defeated the UConn Huskies 69–63 in the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game, securing the program’s first title since 1989 and only the second in school history. But if you expected a smooth, high-scoring finish, this wasn’t that kind of night.
Both teams struggled to find their rhythm on offense. Michigan, which had been lighting up scoreboards all tournament long, missed its first 11 three-point attempts and finished just 2-for-15 from beyond the arc.
Yet somehow, they still found a way.
“If you’d told me we would shoot it this poorly and be dominated on the glass and still find a way to win, I don’t know if I would have believed you,” Dusty May admitted after the game. “This team just found a way all season.”
Elliot Cadeau led the Wolverines with 19 points, and it was his crucial three-pointer midway through the second half that helped shift the momentum of the game.
But it was freshman Trey McKenney whose late three-pointer and two free throws finally allowed the Wolverines to pick up the trophy. And that celebration had been a long time coming.
Michigan finished the season 37–3 and, in just his second year, Dusty May delivered something the program had been chasing for decades. In doing so, he also ended a 26-year national championship drought for the Big Ten.
But while the fans continue to celebrate this victory, what made this title even more remarkable wasn’t just the win. It was how this team was built in the first place.
How Dusty May turned a transfer-heavy roster into a championship machine
The 2025-26 Michigan Wolverines were never your typical championship roster.
When coach May began shaping this Michigan squad, he didn’t rely on four-year development or a single recruiting class. Instead, he leaned into the chaos of the transfer portal and trusted his eye for the right fit. And it all started with one big decision.
Imago
Apr 6, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan Wolverines head coach Dusty May celebrates on stage after defeating the Connecticut Huskies in the national championship of the Final Four of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images
Before he ever wore a Michigan jersey, Yaxel Lendeborg had NBA scouts projecting him as a potential first-round pick. But instead of making the jump, he chose to bet on development. And using that opportunity, Michigan didn’t just offer him a spot on the team; they offered him a plan, and that gamble paid off.
Even while battling injuries in the national championship game, Lendeborg stayed on the floor, grinding out 13 points and bringing the same edge that made him such a priority target in the first place. However, he wasn’t alone. He was part of a group that came to Ann Arbor with something to prove.
Cadeau needed a reset after an up-and-down stint at North Carolina. Morez Johnson Jr. wanted to expand beyond a limited role at Illinois. And Aday Mara was searching for freedom after not fully unlocking his game at UCLA.
They all came from different paths but had the same goal, and under Dusty May, it all clicked.
Instead of forcing structure, Michigan leaned into trust. Sounds weird, right? An elite program that gives its players the freedom to be themselves. But that’s exactly what coach May did, and now they’ve gone home with a national championship.
“I would say just the freedom that we have as players, the confidence that he gives us, it’s probably one of the keys,” Mara said of May’s coaching in an interview with ESPN. “We don’t play with sets or plays. We just hoop, so it’s easier like that to create, to play your game.”
In a season where plenty of programs spent big and stacked their rosters with talent, Michigan proved you don’t just need stars. You need the right stars, in the right system, buying into the same vision.
And what’s a better proof than the championship to find out that this system works?
Written by
Edited by
Deepali Verma