INDIANAPOLIS (AP) 鈥� There’s a dynasty brewing in college basketball. And, in a perfectly fitting twist, UConn can cement that status by overcoming a Michigan powerhouse that is racking up historically impressive numbers, hoping to go down as one of the sport’s greatest teams itself.
Those are the stakes in between the Huskies and Wolverines.
Connecticut is trying to become the first program since John Wooden’s UCLA behemoth of the 1960s and 鈥�70s to win three championships over a four-season span, while Michigan is trying to cap off a string of dominance, the likes of which were last seen by this very UConn program that .
鈥淭his run they鈥檙e on is one of the best 鈥� probably the best 鈥� since John Wooden,鈥� Michigan coach Dusty May said. 鈥淚f we think riding in on a wave is going to take care of UConn, then we鈥檙e going to be very disappointed at about 11 o’clock tomorrow night or whenever the game concludes.鈥�
The Wolverines (36-3), seeded first in the Midwest, are listed as a 6 1/2-point favorite by BetMGM Sportsbook. Even with his team’s front-runner pedigree, coach Dan Hurley of UConn (34-5), a No. 2 seed out of the East, is leaning into the underdog role, not fighting it.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been plenty of times in the history of this tournament where the best team hasn鈥檛 won it,鈥� Hurley said. 鈥淵ou’ve just got to be better one night. The good thing for us, it’s not a seven-game series.鈥�
In yet another twist with plot-shifting potential, the could play heavily into this game.
Ball was walking around in a boot Sunday after spraining his left foot in the first half of UConn’s 71-62 win over Illinois. Lendeborg tweaked his knee and ankle when he landed awkwardly on the foot of Arizona’s Motiejus Krivas in the first half of of the Wildcats.
Both have vowed they won’t miss Monday’s game.
“He played the second half like a 38-year-old at the YMCA — and a really good 38-year-old at the YMCA,” May said of his 15-point-per-game All-American. 鈥淲hatever version of Yaxel we get, it鈥檚 going to be somebody that helps us play better basketball.鈥�
The Wolverines are the first team to score 90-plus points in five straight tournament games. They are trying to become the fifth team to win six tournament games by double digits. The other four: 2009 North Carolina, 2018 Villanova and both of the recent UConn teams.
鈥淲hen you get to the Final Four and you know you have the best team, that was a different level of pressure than in 鈥�23 where we weren鈥檛 really sure,鈥� Hurley said of his ’24 squad. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 also some pressure even if you鈥檙e 鈥� whatever 鈥� the underdog, because we鈥檙e one game away from having a national championship with this team.鈥�
UConn, UM take different approaches to roster building
The Wolverines roster is a reflection of what college hoops looks like in the transfer-portal era. Four of their starters came to Michigan this season, as May fashioned a quick rebuild in his second year in Ann Arbor. This is May’s second trip to the Final Four in four seasons. His first came with Florida Atlantic.
鈥淲hat 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,鈥� Hurley said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 got a special eye for how to put together a great team.鈥�
UConn is built differently 鈥� with what Hurley would call judicious use of the transfer portal (Tarris Reed Jr., for instance, came from Michigan) combined with players who have become entrenched on a campus with 18 national basketball titles 鈥� six for the men and 12 for the women. The best example of that: Alex Karaban, who, with a title, could become the first player since the UCLA dynasty to win three national titles over his college career.
“You dream of being on this stage one time, and to be heading into it for a third time, it鈥檚 a blessing,” Karaban said.
At Michigan, the Fab Five is always front of mind
UConn isn’t the only program with a deep history. Michigan in the 1990s with the Fab Five. Juwan Howard, Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Ray Jackson and Jimmy King came to the school together as freshmen in 1991. They made the title game twice and lost.
But they’re most remembered for bringing a baggy-shorts, mass-marketing brashness to the game, one underpinned by the question: Why are all these coaches and shoe companies raking in dough while we play for free?
鈥淲e got to college and started understanding the hypocrisy in the game, with the schools making millions and us sitting around poor as hell,鈥� Jackson said in a 2023 interview with The Associated Press.
In today’s NIL landscape, players are making money and nobody overlooks the Fab Five’s role in pushing things forward. What that group was missing, of course, was the national title. Michigan’s only championship came in 1989, a few years before the Fab Five arrived.
鈥淥ther than Michael Jordan, since I鈥檝e been alive, I don鈥檛 think there鈥檚 ever been a group change the culture for the better in our sport than the Fab Five,鈥� May said earlier in the week. They’re 鈥渏ust number one. We鈥檙e proud to represent those guys and carry the flag for the former players at the University of Michigan.鈥�
Hurley looks for a title … and a tailor
One key casualty of all this UConn success: . He has worn the same blue suit at March Madness dating as far back as 2012 when he was coaching Rhode Island.
He also wears the same socks and underwear and eats eight M&Ms before games 鈥� but none of them green.
Anything to keep the good mojo going.
鈥淭he pants are fine,鈥� Hurley said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the jacket that is really 鈥� the lining is a problem. There鈥檚 like three holes. When I stick my arm in the right, there鈥檚 like three different places (you can stick your arm), and if you can see it, it鈥檚 like the lining is coming through.
鈥淚’m going to have to get a tailor in the offseason.鈥�
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This story has been corrected to show that Michigan is the favorite to win.
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