A spot in the college basketball history books is on the line Monday night in Indianapolis as Dan Hurley and the UConn Huskies will face the No. 1-seeded Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA Men’s Basketball National Championship.
The Wolverines – chasing their first national title since 1989 – have been a dominant force throughout the Big Dance, winning five games by an average of 22 points per game. They are led by senior standout Yaxel Lendeborg, who sprained his left MCL and left ankle in the first half against Arizona on Saturday night, but is expected to play.
UConn is looking to capture its third national championship in four years under Hurley. The Huskies are led by the senior duo of Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban, but are also dealing with an injury of their own to Solo Ball. The junior guard was in a walking boot after the team’s Final Four win over Illinois, but he appears good to go for Monday night’s championship game.
Here are the top storylines ahead of Monday night’s title game:
UConn Huskies
1. UConn’s Alex Kabaran going for third title with Huskies
Alex Karaban of the Connecticut Huskies is introduced prior to the game against Illinois. (Photo by Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Alex Karaban has been with the Huskies since he stepped foot into the college basketball world. A two-time national champion, Karaban has never once thought about leaving UConn.
“I’ve never considered the portal,” Karaban said. “You win and start on two national championship teams here, freshman and sophomore year, it’s going to be tough going into the office and being like, ‘Coach I want to leave.’”
What Karaban has now is a chance to go for a third title to close out his time with the Huskies. Karaban has been a star for UConn for four straight seasons, something unheard of in today’s transfer portal world.
2. Mullins’ Michigan alliance shifting ahead of title game
UConn freshman Braylon Mullins hit the shot heard around the world, a 30-foot 3-pointer to help the Huskies advance to the Final Four with a win over Duke. Now, the Mullins family, who were loyal to the Michigan Wolverines, have shifted their alliance to the Huskies ahead of the game.
Mullins was born and raised in Greenfield, Indiana, and grew up in a Michigan athletics household. Now, the chance to go up against his childhood team has extra meaning for the true freshman.
“In my household, growing up, it was Michigan football, Michigan basketball,” Mullins said Sunday. “That’s what my family and friends were watching. So having people around me who are probably going to be rooting for Michigan means a little more in this game, just to be fun. But at the end of the day, it’s just another game.”
3. Huskies going for third title in four seasons
UConn’s dominance as a basketball program has led to this moment, competing for a third national championship in four seasons. The previous two titles came consecutively, in 2023 when they defeated San Diego State, and in 2024, beating Purdue.
Hurley has accumulated an 18-1 record in the NCAA Tournament and is 199-74 in eight seasons. If the Huskies clinch their third title in four years, it’ll make them the first program to do so since the dominant UCLA run under John Wooden.
Michigan Wolverines
1. Can Michigan stay dominant with Yaxel Lendeborg’s injury?
Yaxel Lendeborg is a pivotal piece when it comes to the Wolverines’ starting lineup. The senior forward suffered a sprained MCL and rolled ankle that sidelined him for a large portion of the team’s Final Four win over Arizona.
While the Wolverines still took care of the Wildcats, 91-73, to advance to their first title game since 2018, the concern now turns to Lendeborg’s health against the Huskies. Lendeborg averaged 15.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game this season.
2. Dusty May competing for first-ever national championship
Michigan head coach Dusty May looks on from the sideline against Arizona. (Photo by Erick W. Rasco/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
May, who led FAU to the Final Four in 2023, is set to make his first-ever appearance in a national title game.
“What makes Dusty May special as a coach is obviously his eye for talent, his ability to construct a roster, the fact that he insulates himself with an excellent coaching staff, and his ability to build team and culture,” Hurley said of May. “He’s got a special eye for how to put together a great team.”
The Wolverines’ season-long dominance has caught the eyes of many, notably when they knocked a powerful Arizona team out of title contention, leading by 30 points at one point in the game. Michigan’s title win would tie the B1G single-season win record.
3. Michigan’s starting lineup shows the power of the transfer portal
In the midst of the transfer portal era, the Wolverines have proven that, when done right, the perfect portal class can lead to success.
The Wolverines boast Lendeborg from UAB, Elliot Cadeau from North Carolina, Morez Johnson Jr. from Illinois and Aday Mara from UCLA. Collectively, this lineup has produced five consecutive 90-point games leading up to the title game, the most since by any team in a single tournament.
Michigan’s strength is its interior size, as the trio of Lendeborg, Johnson and Mara have combined to average 13.5 points and seven rebounds per game this season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
