The men’s and women’s NCAA basketball seasons concluded with Michigan (men’s) and UCLA (women’s) emerging as national champions of their respective tournaments.
The Michigan Wolverines cruised to its first national title since 1989 behind March Madness Most Outstanding Player (MOP) Elliot Cadeau. The night prior, The UCLA Bruins crushed South Carolina to bring home its first women’s NCAA title.
The Michigan Wolverines entered March Madness as the number one-seed in the Midwest after going 31-3 in the regular season. They continued their excellent play into the tournament and took care of business in the first round, defeating the 16-seed Howard Bison 101-80. The Wolverines would not have much to worry about throughout the tournament, steamrolling through Saint Louis, Alabama, Tennessee and Arizona while putting up 90+ points in each game en route to the championship game.
The men’s National Championship matchup was set with the two-seed UConn Huskies facing Michigan in front of more than 70,000 fans in Indianapolis. Despite being heavily favored, the Wolverines got off to a slow start, failing to knock in a three-point until midway through the second half. However, their defense took control, limiting the Huskies to 31 points in the first-half as Michigan held a 34-31 into halftime. The Wolverines maintained control throughout the second half, having a lead as high as 11. The Huskies had a rally going in the game’s final minutes, but were unable to get over the hump. Michigan capped off one of the most impressive March Madness runs with a 68-63 victory, securing their second national championship in program history. Elliot Cadeau, Michigan’s 6′ 1″ Guard, was awarded the tournament’s MOP after leading the Wolverines with 19 points in the championship and being the backbone of their team throughout March.
On the women’s side, The UCLA Bruins also entered March Madness as the one-seed following a dominant regular season. The Bruins were an offensive powerhouse all season, boasting a +28.1 points per game differential on their way to a 37-1 overall record. UCLA cruised through much of the tournament, earning comfortable wins over California Baptist, Oklahoma State, Minnesota and Duke to reach the Final Four. There, the Bruins faced the Texas Longhorns and, despite constant pressure from Texas, the Bruins were able to hold onto a 51-44 lead to advance to the championship.
The women’s National Championship matchup was a clash between the one-seeds, with the South Carolina
Gamecocks meeting UCLA in Phoenix. The Gamecocks were favored going into the game, but that narrative would change very quickly. UCLA would not give up the lead once throughout the game, overmatching South Carolina on both sides of the ball. The dominance was led by Center Lauren Betts and Guard Gabriela Jaquez, each of whom recorded double-doubles. UCLA kept their foot on the gas to a 79-51 victory to capture their first national championship in program history.
