INDIANAPOLIS \u2014 The Michigan Wolverines have been the best team in men\u2019s college basketball all season. The UConn Huskies have been the sport\u2019s main character from the moment they hired Dan Hurley, and he has two national championship rings to prove it. The 2026 national championship game is going to be a stunner, but only one team can cut down the nets on Monday night.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Michigan has been throttling teams all year, but it saved its best performance of the season for its Final Four rout of Arizona. In a matchup of the top-2 teams on KenPom\u2019s rankings, the Wolverines flexed their power even while superstar forward Yaxel Lendeborg was limited to only five minutes in the first half with foul trouble and injury. Arizona only had two losses on its resume entering the night, and had not trailed by more than 12 points this season. Michigan was still up 18 going into halftime, and it was a blowout from there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
UConn looked like it might make an early tournament exit after losing its regular season finale to a bad Marquette team, then getting crushed by 20 points by St. John\u2019s in the Big East tournament championship game. Dan Hurley turned it on once the NCAA tournament started, and Braylon Mullins\u2019 miracle three to stun Duke in the Elite Eight saved the season<\/a>. The Final Four win against Illinois was more proof he\u2019s the best postseason coach in all of sports.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Hurley picked apart Illinois size by running shooters off screens all night, and letting the Illini big men fire away from three. UConn looked like a team that was used to playing games in a football stadium in their third Final Four appearance in the last four years. Maybe the sightlines messed with the Illini, or maybe it was just a cold shooting night, but the Huskies got every bounce they needed while Brad Underwood\u2019s team couldn\u2019t buy a bucket.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Hurley and UConn are going for three national championships in four years. Michigan wants to solidify its place as one of the most dominant college teams in recent memory. Who has the edge?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The Huskies have the best coaching staff in America. Hurley is so good that he turned down $70 million to coach the Los Angeles Lakers and it doesn\u2019t even seem like a regrettable move. Top assistant Luke Murray is a schematic genius, and he\u2019ll be Boston College\u2019s head coach after Monday night. Kimani Young is another elite assistant who has been with Hurley throughout this run.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nHow UConn can win the 2026 national championship<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n