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Winning an NCAA Basketball Championship is thrilling. For the University of Michigan — it also turned out to be historic. Very historic. Michigan is now the first NCAA Program to win an NCAA Basketball Championship with five transfer starters. It’s also the second Championship for the University since 1989. It’s the first title for the Big Ten since 2000.
As reported by ESPN, Michigan’s eighteen-point margin of victory is tied for the largest in an NCAA tournament game between top-seeded teams going all the way back to the beginning of NCAA seeding in 1979. Michigan is also the first in all of NCAA tournament history to put up ninety-plus points in five consecutive games in a single tournament. Michigan led by sixteen at halftime and was also up by sixteen in the first half — and stretched that lead to thirty in the second half.
Photo Courtesy of Wiki Commons.
In a back and forth first half with both teams in foul trouble — Michigan took a 33–29 lead at the half. With just under thirteen minutes left in the first half — Michigan took the first lead of the game that north of ten points at 48–37. Michigan would force a total of 11 turnovers and had six blocked shots to win the game 69–63.
Unfortunately, all of the Philly teams were out of the 2026 NCAA Tournament early. But Philly area talent — that is always alive and well — in nearly every sport across this nation. One example making national headlines is from across the river in New Jersey.
After All — Elliot Cadeau was named the NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player. He would score nineteenpoints — the highest total of anyone on the floor on Monday night.
And for the first time since 1989 — Michigan basketball was a National Champion.
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