I’m waiting for a Final Four MVP (or MOP, as they call it – Most Outstanding Player) announcement. And here it is …

It’s Elliot Cadeau. Well deserved.

On that note, we’ll wrap this college basketball season. Back again in November.

But first, the transfer portal! Follow the headlines tomorrow.

Thanks for following along with us. Congrats to a deserving champion.

Stats of note

Michigan shot badly (38%, 13% on 3-pointers), but UConn was no better (31%, 27% on 3s). Michigan blocked six shots, and their big front line affected several other shots.

As May mentioned, UConn had the rebounding edge, 46-39. Reed and Karaban both had double-doubles – Reed 13 and 14, Karaban 17 and 11.

The biggest difference was Michigan driving toward the basket and drawing fouls, then hitting those free throws – 25 of 28, and two of those misses were by one person in the last minute. UConn, on the other hand, relied on perimeter shooting – nearly half their shots were from behind the arc.

Elliot Cadeau is surely the MVP of this game, finishing with 19 points, 2 assists (but seemed like more) and 2 steals.

Lendeborg, who battled through injury and played 36 minutes, says his teammates never gave up on him. The box score says he shot 4 for 13, but his impact was immeasurable.

The Wolverines are worthy champions all the way around. UConn scrapped and fought like always, but Michigan just made too many good plays and kept their nerve at the free throw line.

There were no incidents in the postgame handshake. And no apparent ill will. Hurley complained about call after call but didn’t seem the least bit aggrieved with the opponents.

Michigan coach Dusty May: “If you told me we’d shoot this poorly and be dominated on the glass and still win …”

McKenney makes both free throws. Such poise from the freshman. 69-63

UConn 63-67 Michigan, 0:13 left, second half: The officials rule against UConn. Now they’re charged with a timeout – their last.

Karaban launches a long 3, and it’s off the front of the rim.

McKenney grabs the rebound and hangs on for dear life.

Foul on UConn, but Hurley continues the poor sideline performance by UConn coaches this weekend and appeals for an elbow on McKenney. He has griped about every call tonight.

Successful inbounds play, and Michigan burns eight seconds.

Gayle misses the first free throw – a rare miss for the Wolverines tonight. He misses the second. Mullins with the rebound. Uh oh.

UConn 63-67 Michigan, 37 seconds left, second half: Officials review to see if the shot was a two or three. Looks like it’ll be a three.

I was just telling someone UConn would probably hit a fluke shot or three to get back in this.

Off the timeout, Michigan botches the inbounds. Lendeborg tries to save it, but it hits the backboard.

Ball banks in a jumper. Foot over the line, so it’s just two. Lead is five. Timeout.

67-62, 37 seconds

Michigan can’t beat the press this time. The ball is tied up. Possession arrow to the Wolverines, and they’ll call timeout.

67-60, 48 seconds

UConn 60-67 Michigan, 53.8 seconds left, second half: Karaban hits both free throws.

UConn goes to Mullins in the corner. Misses. Gayle fouls Karaban going for the rebound.

53.5 seconds.

Cadeau to the line. Hits the first. Hits the second.

Michigan 67-58, 1:07

Michigan beats the press, and Demary fouls Cadeau near midcourt. That’s five. He’s out.

Good defense from Michigan, and Ball has to launch a long 3-point effort. Karaban gets the rebound. Then Reed with the rebound, and Cadeau fouls. Reeds hits both.

58-65, 1:07

UConn 56-65 Michigan, 1:49 left, second half: UConn just won’t fold. Karaban takes a long 3-pointer. Good. Lead is six.

Reed with the steal! He saves it for Ball, but he misses. Go the other way – McKenney for 3!

Michigan timeout. The score is a palindrome again.

UConn 53-62 Michigan, 2:45 left, second half: Michigan in the bonus, so Cadeau will shoot. Makes both, of course.

UConn 53-60 Michigan, 2:45 left, second half: Patient possession for Michigan, but it ends with McKenney shooting an impossible shot. Airball, Karaban claims it.

Mullins runs into Cadeau. Michigan ball.

Foul on Demary. His fourth.

UConn 53-60 Michigan, 3:48 left, second half: The next 3:48 of playing time will feel like an eternity for Michigan fans.

Reed makes both free throws.

UConn 51-60 Michigan, 3:48 left, second half: Johnson fouls Reed on a shot in the post, and the UConn center will have two free throws after the TV timeout.

UConn free throws tonight: 6 of 10. Michigan: 19 of 20. That’s a 13-point difference, and Michigan’s lead is nine. Math.

UConn 51-60 Michigan, 4:13 left, second half: Lendeborg with the tip-in. He’s not 100% tonight, but he’s battling. Lead is 10 again.

Mullins hits a three. As I was saying …

Lendeborg drives and draws a foul. He makes both free throws. Free throws have been the difference in this game.

UConn 48-56 Michigan, 5:21 left, second half: Ball has re-entered despite having four fouls. He misses a 3-pointer. Mara tries to knock the rebound out to a teammate, but it goes to Karaban, who drives and is fouled. The senior misses both free throws. Reed gets the offensive rebound, though. Demary misses, and Lendeborg scores at the other end to push the lead to 11 again.

Did I say Mullins would start making shots? He hits a 3-pointer. UConn calls timeout.

ESPN’s win predictor got to 96.6% after the Lendeborg hoop.

UConn 45-54 Michigan, 6:30 left, second half: Lendeborg is finally out of the game and very frustrated.

Reed makes a nice post move on Mara, then airballs his shot.

McKenney drives and is fouled. The freshman has been much better in the second half than the first. He makes both free throws, and the score is now a palindrome.

UConn 45-52 Michigan, 6:47 left, second half: Mullins is 2 of 14. He’ll probably make his next 10 now.

Foul on Mara, but not a shooting foul. UConn to inbounds.

Basketball rule change idea – reinstate the old trapezoidal free-throw lane that used to be commonplace in international basketball. You can still the old rectangle for position on free throws, but limit players to three seconds in that trapezoid. These battles under the basket are gruesome.

Karaban misses, the ball goes out, and we have a TV timeout. Phew!

UConn 45-52 Michigan, 7:31 left, second half: Oh boy – how to describe this?

Lendeborg misses a 3-pointer. UConn races the other way, but Lendeborg knocks the shot away. Ross misses a follow. There are at least 8 people packed within a couple of feet of the basket, but one of them is NOT Mara, so Michigan tosses an outlet pass to the giant center. He has three guys draped on him and somehow none get called for a foul.

Sometime later, Johnson scores again. Mullins has another shot blocked. Karaban scores. Lendeborg misses a three. Demary makes a layup to cut the lead to five. Gayle misses a layup – Karaban block. Karaban then turns it over, and Gayle tosses the alley-oop to Mara.

UConn 41-48 Michigan, 10:02 left, second half: Reed scores in the post against Johnson.

Cadeau drives again, but this isn’t the best decision. He misses as bodies hit the floor.

Mullins misses a three. Johnson gets the rebound, but Demary grabs the ball as well. Johnson hangs on like a running back avoiding the strip, and Demary pulls until they both fall into an official and over the baseline. Everyone’s OK. Held ball, Michigan possession.

UConn 39-48 Michigan, 11:33 left, second half: Another UConn miss, another UConn offensive rebound, and it’s both a foul and an impressive block for Michigan. Ross goes to the line and makes two.

Good defensive by UConn, and Cadeau has to drive. His shot is blocked.

Ross shoots a 3. Miss, rebound Michigan, and it’s a 2-on-1 break. Tschetter makes the wrong choice, shooting rather than passing, and now UConn is on the break. Johnson blocks a shot from Mullins, and that’ll take us to the TV timeout.

Can Michigan gain some control over the pace of this game? The wilder it is, the more likely UConn can rally.

UConn 37-48 Michigan, 12:47 left, second half: Cadeau fakes a pass, then sinks the first Michigan 3-pointer of the night. Hurley has to call timeout. This is getting away from UConn. But they rallied against Duke …

UConn 37-45 Michigan, 13:00 left, second half: Now Michigan is in shot clock trouble. McKenney has it, and he finally gets a shot to go.

Mullins is lefts alone in the corner but somehow misses.

UConn gets multiple rebounds, and Karaban scores.

Cadeau drives and scores. He has been brilliant aside from that rushed shot.

UConn 35-41 Michigan, 14:34 left, second half: Free throw made, and Michigan leads by eight.

Michigan’s press forces a turnover a midcourt.

Cadeau shoots far too quickly, and the rebound comes way out. Smith darts down the court to score.

ESPN’s win predictor is now at 88.2% Michigan. I’ll say 60%. It’s basketball. A lead can go from eight points to two in a matter of seconds.

UConn 33-40 Michigan, 15:16 left, second half: Gayle commits a foul very far away from the basket.

Steal by Michigan, and Cadeau is off to the races again. He misses this one, and a tip-in is also missed.

Karaban tries to score in the paint, but it’s emphatically knocked away. He then misses a three, but Mullins sneaks in to clean up.

Lendeborg gets the ball in the paint the other way and puts up a shot. He’s fouled. The ball bounces around on the rim and falls through. He’ll have a free throw after the TV timeout.

UConn 31-38 Michigan, 16:20 left, second half: Mullins misses a contested three.

Cadeau drives and is practically wrapped up by Ball, but he still manages to get the layup up and in. Count the basket, and Ball has four fouls. Cadeau hits the free throw.

UConn 31-35 Michigan, 16:48 left, second half: Yet another missed 3-pointer for Michigan.

Mara breaks up a pass at the other end.

Demary fouls Johnson.

Alley-oop attempt to Johnson clanks away.

Ball misses a three.

Mara again launches a fast break, but the layup is missed.

I really want to hit “post” on this, but everything’s happening too quickly.

Steal by Burnett. Then he loses it out of bounds.

UConn 31-35 Michigan, 18:30 left, second half: Ball misses a three. Mara gets the rebound and throws it the length of the court to Burnett. Ball fouls him – that’s Ball’s third foul. Mara passes exceptionally well for a big guy. Burnett hits both free throws.

Reed scores off his seventh rebound of the game to answer for UConn.

Just as I praise Mara’s hands, he loses the ball in the post.

UConn 29-33 Michigan, 19:55 left, second half: We have tipoff.

Halftime is supposed to be 15 minutes. This is now at least 18. Some of us have work assignments in the morning.

Statistical fun …

Half of UConn’s field goals are 3-pointers. None of Michigan’s field goals are 3-pointers.

UConn’s Braylon Mullins is 1 for 7, and I’m sure all my fellow Duke grads are wondering why he couldn’t have had that sort of performance at the end of the Elite Eight game.

Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg, who was injured near the end of the semifinal win over Arizona, has played all 20 minutes.

UConn’s Malachi Smith has three assists, and they were all sublime.

UConn 28-33 Michigan, 2.6 seconds left, first half: Huge 3-pointer from Ball, who has just re-entered the game for UConn.

Mara works in the post again and converts. Old-school back-to-the-basket post moves. They looked clumsy early in the game. Not any more.

Big scramble for the ball. UConn gets it and rushes a shot. Mara wins a hotly contested rebound.

McKenney is short on a jumper once again.

Mullins misses a layup. Michigan rebound.

Lendeborg misses a layup. Gayle leaps up to dunk it home.

Reed draws a foul on Lendeborg with a couple of ticks left.

If I ever need money, I’m going to see if I can bet against ESPN’s win percentage. It’s currently showing Michigan at 78.8%. I’d say it’s more like 55%.

UConn 25-29 Michigan, 2:24 left, first half: The official review upholds the call, and it’s elevated to a flagrant foul. That means Johnson gets two shots with no one in the lane, and Michigan will keep possession after the shots.

Johnson hits both. Tie game. Again.

And the Wolverines finally score from the field! Mara sends a nice long in to Lendeborg, who scores inside.

Karaban misses a three. Mara goes back into the post, and this time, he’s successful.

Timeout UConn. The Wolverines are waking up.

UConn 25-23 Michigan, 3:16 left, first half: Michigan moves the ball around but can’t find an open shot. Mullins ends up with a block.

Karaban and Lendeborg trade long 3-point misses.

Karaban gets Johnson in an armbar. Foul. Officials check the monitors for some reason.

Mara made a layup with 7:38 left. Michigan hasn’t hit a bucket since then. They’ve made six straight free throws.

UConn 25-23 Michigan, 3:58 left, first half: Note to self – check to see when Michigan scored away from the free throw line.

Reed shoots, and Mara gets up for the block but catches it on the way down. Easy goaltending call.

Michigan has completely fallen apart on offense. It’s as if they think they get extra points if they score while surrounded by defenders.

Illegal screen on UConn, and we get to the TV timeout.

UConn 23-23 Michigan, 4:52 left, first half: McKenney adds another to the pile of missed 3-pointers. Hurley has to be beside himself that Michigan has been this cold and is still keeping it close. Gayle makes two free throws, and it’s tied again.

UConn 23-21 Michigan, 5:05 left, first half: The game is flowing like a tractor with transmission problems.

Lendeborg hits two free throws.

Michigan’s press is again fearsome, but Mullins waits patiently for someone to get him the ball, and the dead-eye shooter hits a three.

The Wolverines rush things on offense. They’re now 0-for-6 on 3-point attempts.

UConn 20-19 Michigan, 6:17 left, first half: Michigan unleashes a full-court press, UConn barely gets it across.

The towering Mara sends a Karaban shot back to midcourt, but Cadeau is called for a foul – his second. That’s not good. He has carried the Wolverines so far.

Karaban hits the free throws.

UConn 18-19 Michigan, 6:47 left, first half: The officials’ microphone isn’t working, but they get it working long enough to explain that they have figured out the shot clock. It’s 15 seconds.

How old am I? I remember when Dan Hurley played in college. His remaining hair is now gray.

Foul called on Mullins, and Burnett gets the 1-and-1 free throws. Makes the first. Makes the second. Michigan back in front.

Question: Do you know any UConn fans? I think I’ve met one my entire life. And I’m old. And I’ve spent my whole life in the USA.

Michigan fans are everywhere.

UConn 18-17 Michigan, 7:00 left, first half: Cadeau and Johnson are the only Michigan players who have scored so far. Mara has been brutally ineffective in the post, and they’ve yet to hit a 3-pointer.

McKenney drives and misses. Michigan has gone completely cold. (Its climate is indeed a bit chilly.)

Mara gets a big block at one end, and then he finally gets a big bucket, catching the ball up high and not bringing it back down.

A wild sequence sees a few wrestling holds uncalled. The officiating crew isn’t sure whether the clock should’ve reset, and it’s time for the TV timeout, anyway.

UConn 18-15 Michigan, 8:53 left, first half: Good ball movement for Michigan to get a 3-point shot for McKenney, but it won’t go. The Wolverines have not yet hit a three. The Huskies have made three.

Smith threads his way through the lane for a layup.

UConn 16-15 Michigan, 9:49 left, first half: Michigan coach Dusty May says he wants to see his team get more successful inside.

Jayden Ross hits the first of two free throws but misses a chance to give UConn the lead.

Johnson pump-fakes about 30 times. It works, and he makes the shot.

A friendly bounce for Malachi Smith ties it.

Johnson travels, well defended by Riebe.

Smith misses, but UConn works the ball around to Karaban for the three.

Johnson gets a tip-in, and Dan Hurley walks several feet out onto the court to communicate something.

UConn 10-11 Michigan, 11:57 left, first half: Cadeau misses a three, and the rebound clangs out into the backcourt. Ross comes up with it and is off to the races, but Cadeau races back to stop his layup attempt. Cadeau is called for a foul, though, and that’s the last act before the second TV timeout.

Question: If women’s basketball can have TV timeouts every five minutes, one in each quarter, why does men’s basketball have to have one every four minutes? The game generally flows a bit better with halves instead of quarters, but the TV timeouts negate that advantage.

UConn 10-11 Michigan, 12:07 left, first half: McKenney enters the fray for Michigan and clanks a 3-point attempt off the rim. Ball takes aim from behind the arc and easily drains it to whittle the lead to two.

Cadeau with a highlight-reel layup! With the shot clock running down, he dribbles under the basket and flings up a reverse, drawing another foul from Demary and getting the shot to foul. He misses the free throw.

UConn is very lucky to avoid a 10-second call in the backcourt, but they fail to score anyway as bodies go flying under the basket.

Michigan again goes inside to Mara, who just looks clumsy in the post.

Karaban makes a nifty move to set up an open look for 3, and he converts to cut the lead to one.

UConn 4-9 Michigan, 14:46 left, first half: UConn didn’t seem aware of the shot clock. The lights go red before they shoot.

Michigan goes inside to Mara, but he once again has trouble scoring in the post against Reed’s defense.

UConn 4-9 Michigan, 15:42 left, first half: Solo Ball works inside to get two for UConn, but then he gets called for blocking at the other end. Questionable call, to be honest. He seemed set.

Cadeau misses a three, but Michigan get a second and third chance. Johnson converts the tip-in.

Demary drives for UConn, but Gayle emphatically swats the ball away.

TV timeout, and Dan Hurley is surely glad to have a chance to reset the Huskies.

UConn 2-7 Michigan, 16:43 left, first half: Smart play from Cadeau. Demary reaches towards him while he holds the ball at the arc, and Cadeau swings up into a shooting motion to draw the foul. He makes all three free throws. Excellent start for the North Carolina transfer.

UConn 2-4 Michigan, 17:30 left, first half: Both teams come up short on their first possessions. Michigan takes advantage of a mismatch inside to score first. UConn answers. Cadeau zips through the lane to put the Wolverines back in front.

Starting lineups

Announced after a couple of montages …

UConn: Alex Karaban, Tarris Reed Jr., Solo Ball, Silas Demary Jr., Braylon Mullins

Michigan: Morez Johnson Jr., Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, Elliot Cadeau, Nimari Burnett

Draft scouting

Looking for players for your NBA fantasy team next year?

One mock draft has two lottery picks from Michigan – Mara and Yaxel Lendeborg, while Morez Johnson is rated as a first-round pick.

From UConn – Mullins is projected as a lottery pick, while Reed is a late first-rounder.

Global game

Three German players are on the rosters for tonight’s game. UConn has Eric Reibe and the well-traveled Dwayne Koroma, who went from German club basketball to US high school basketball to Iona to junior college to Texas-Arlington to LeMoyne to UConn.

UConn’s bench includes Australian Jacob Furphy, while Michigan has Oscar Goodman from New Zealand.

The player from overseas who’ll play the biggest role tonight is Aday Mara, who spent two years at UCLA after moving across the ocean from Spain.

Who needs top recruits?

Michigan’s freshman class includes two players from ESPN’s Top 100: No. 20 Trey McKenney and No. 90 Winters Grady. Other than McKenney, the Wolverines’ highest-rated recruit of the last few 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, the shooting star of this tournament, and No. 23 Eric Reibe.

The top four scorers for 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 the championship ambitions of former Wolverine Tarris Reed Jr.?

Will anyone hop in the transfer portal tomorrow morning?

A compelling college basketball season wraps up in the next couple of 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 need to do to cut down the nets in Indianapolis.

What do UConn need to do to win?

The Huskies must lean on discipline and patience to avoid getting dragged into a high-possession shootout. They have to execute their off-ball actions cleanly, force Michigan to defend across the full shot clock and get efficient production from star center Tarris Reed Jr inside. If they can limit the Wolverines’ second-chance points and drill timely threes, the upset is there for the taking. BAG

Hit shots. UConn run a diverse offense that forces opponents to guard the entire floor, from catch-and-shoot threes to deep post touches. They are unlikely to score consistently over Michigan’s size, so perimeter shooting becomes critical. Their off-ball movement will make Michigan chase, but it ultimately comes down to shot-making. NL

What do Michigan need to do to win?

Impose their physicality and depth from the outset. Michigan must turn their size advantage into second-chance points, push the pace when possible and protect the paint through 7ft 3in Spaniard Aday Mara while letting playmaker Elliot Cadeau cook. If they defend UConn’s motion for full possessions and get production from across the roster, their balance and athleticism should win out over 40 minutes. BAG

Michigan can beat opponents in multiple ways. In Saturday’s win over Arizona, they scored 26 points off turnovers and dominated the paint. They should hold a similar frontcourt edge here. If Mara, Lendeborg and Johnson control the paint on both ends, Dusty May’s team will be well placed to cut down the nets. NL