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Since dominating the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas around Thanksgiving, the Michigan Wolverines have seemed like a wagon destined to appear in the Final Four. Not too much through the first four rounds has changed that opinion of the Wolverines, which arrive in Indianapolis as the title favorite. Make the jump to read more about the Final Four run of the champions of the Midwest Region, the Michigan Wolverines of the Big Ten Conference.
Michigan Wolverines: The Road to the 2026 Final Four
The Wolverines have scored at will against their opponents, breaking 90 points in all four victories, with just one win below 20 points, defeating:
- #16 Howard, 101-80.
- #9 St. Louis, 95-72. Read my live running reactions here.
- #4 Alabama, 90-77. Read my live running reactions here.
- #6 Tennessee, 95-62. Read my game updates here.
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Quick Tourney Overview of the Michigan Wolverines
Michigan has looked like a national title favorite so far through the Big Dance. After a surprisingly tight first half against Howard in the first round, the Wolverines wore down the Bison, in a Morez Johnson, Jr. is just bigger and stronger than you game, with the sophomore forward scoring 21 points on a perfect 8-for-8 from the field. In the second round, Michigan faced an intriguing St. Louis opponent that hung around for a half but was just dominated in the second half, as Wolverines' star Yaxel Lendeborg made it a conscious effort to score the ball more. Since this decision, Lendeborg has been absolutely unstoppable this tournament. In the Sweet Sixteen, Michigan actually trailed Alabama by two points at halftime, getting caught up too much in the Crimson's Tide three-point shooting and up-and-down play. Still, Lendeborg took over in the second half, and Michigan won by a relatively comfortable 13 points, its lowest margin of victory this tournament. In the Elite Eight, Michigan took about eight minutes before it absolutely blew off the doors of Tennessee, making it very difficult for the Volunteers to score and pushing the ball off many Volunteers misses for transition threes. The second half of that game was hardly a matter of if Michigan would win, just a question of by how much.
Michigan's Most Impressive Tourney Win: St. Louis, 2nd Round
While Tennessee would seemingly be the answer, given the Vols' defensive ability and size, Michigan looked best to me during its second round victory against an impressive and well-coached St. Louis team that could have been a Sweet Sixteen or Elite Team in other seasons and brackets, and with a slightly better seed. St. Louis hung around for a half before Michigan came out in the second half and just shut down the Billikens. A more offensively-aggressive Lendeborg emerged from the break and took his scoring to a whole another level. As Charles Barkley said after the game, it's not like St. Louis played bad. Michigan was, and is, just that good.
Michigan's Most Difficult Tourney Win: Alabama, Sweet 16
Michigan was the superior physical team against the Crimson Tide, which was able to do what Nate Oats' teams do, hang in games with its relentless shooting. The Wolverines got lulled into this style of play and didn't bring its best defensive effort in the first half against Alabama. In the second half, Lendeborg began seeking his own shot and initiating offense from inside the foul line, and the Wolverines cranked up the defensive intensity, making it hard for 'Bama's Labaron Philon to get easy baskets, even though the sophomore guard finished with 35 points.
Most Memorable Michigan Tourney Highlight: Yaxel's Slam
Lendeborg looked like a young Scottie Pippen with this dunk early in the second half against St. Louis. See the screenshot of the first video for an indication of how impressive this rack attack was.
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Best Michigan Player This Tourney: Forward Yaxel Lendeborg
Lendeborg would have been a first-round pick last NBA Draft, yet he decided to stay in college, transferring from UAB to Michigan. Lendeborg has been a very unselfish teammate this season, content to let his talented teammates get theirs and score in spurts. After scoring just 9 points in the first round victory against Howard, Lendeborg made individual scoring more of a focal point in Michigan's three other games. Lendeborg scored 25 points against SLU, 23 against Alabama, and 27 against Tennessee. He looks like a man possessed on offense, and not one team has been close in stopping him from getting to the rim and doing what he wants. If Lendeborg is this aggressive and efficient on offense in the Final Four, Michigan is winning its first national championship since 1989.
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Michigan X-Factor So Far This Tourney: Guard Trey McKenney
The highly-touted freshman has really stepped up his scoring off the bench, with McKenney having a huge game against upset-minded Alabama in the Sweet Sixteen, scoring 17 points on 5-for-7 from the field, including 3-for-5 from three. McKenney was also great in the blowout Elite Eight victory of Tennessee, adding 12 points in 19 minutes. When Michigan reserve guard L.J. Cason was lost for the year during a late-season victory at Illinois, the Wolverines seemed to have a potential hole off its bench. McKenney has more than filled that a hole, with an aggressive mindset looking to score in bursts off the bench.
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Michigan's Final Four X-Factors: Morez Johnson & Aday Mara
Michigan has been scary all season long due to the size of its front line. In college, Lendeborg is really a power forward who has the luxury of playing small forward on this Wolverines' team. Since walking onto the campus of the University of Illinois and then transferring to Michigan after one season, Johnson has had the body of a chiseled NBA veteran and been a man child at the rim, typically someone who is not going to miss within two to three feet. After languishing at UCLA, the 7'3'' Mara has really shined this season, with his soft touch and deft passing. Johnson and Mara are matchup nightmares for opponents. With that said, both players were relatively quiet during the second weekend of tournament play as Lendeborg decided to get his offense. Johnson especially struggled against Alabama and Tennessee, missing a lot of chippies he usually makes and seemingly pressing. Mara played fine during the second weekend. The pace of play against Alabama was not suited to his style, and not much was needed out of the big man as the Wolverines blitzed Tennesee. To get by its toughest test yet, Arizona, Michigan is going to need to get Mara some touches early on and have Johnson be more efficient on his post touches. In fact, Morez is going to have to play with a high motor this game and extend possessions on the glass as the Wildcats are one team that can match Michigan's physicality and size. Which complimentary big man duo plays better, Johnson and Mara or Arizona's Motiejus Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov, could be the difference as to which team advances to Monday night's title game. All year long, the advantage would go to Michigan's complementary bigs. Right now, Arizona's complementary bigs are playing better and more involved.
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Reemerging Michigan Player This Tourney: Roddy Gayle, Jr.
When Dusty May got Roddy Gayle, Jr. to transfer from Ohio State prior to the start of last season, the Wolverines Head Coach was seemingly getting a very good player. At Michigan, Gayle has had to accept a lesser role. With that said, Gayle provided great offense off the bench against Alabama, scoring 16 points. He also came out scoring against Tennessee, finishing with 8 points. Gayle also scored 16 points in the first round against Howard. Like McKenney, Gayle has really provided a nice boost off the Michigan bench with Cason out of the season.
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Key Michigan Player in Final Four: Guard Eliot Cadeau
Obviously, the play of Michigan's frontline will be huge, though point guard Eliot Cadeau cannot be forgotten. While Cadeau hasn't been a favorite to watch at North Carolina and Michigan, he does play with a toughness and edge that is very important for the Wolverines. Cadeau's ability to hit threes and get to the basket are important during rare stretches Michigan may not have much offense going. Cadeau is a pest on the floor, a guy who plays with a chip on his shoulder that can be a good thing or a detriment. Cadeau is going to need to play with a good chip against a talented Arizona backcourt featuring Brayden Burries and Jaden Bradely. Cadeau needs to keep Arizona honest by hitting a couple of threes and bring great defensive intensity against the Wildcats' guards.
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Other Michigan Players to Know Entering the Final Four
Starting shooting guard Nimari Burnett has been in college seemingly forever. Burnett is a very solid player for the Wolverines, providing physical defense and capable of splashing a couple of threes a game. Will Tschetter is a reserve forward who has helped bridge the Juwan Howard and Dusty May eras. His playing time has gone down in the NCAA Tournament, though he is an experienced veteran who can provide spot minutes in case of foul trouble and space out the defense with his ability to hit the three.
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