Michigan secured their first NCAA title since 1989 with their size and physicality around the rim proving decisive in the 69-63 win over UConn.
The Wolverines have dominated college basketball this season and while not at their best against UConn, they still had the edge.
Elliot Cadeau, who claimed in November that this Michigan side was the “best team ever assembled”, was named Most Outstanding Player after scoring 19 points.
“When you bring a group this talented together, and they decide from the beginning that they’re going to do it this way and they never waver and they never change, that’s probably the most uncommon thing in athletics now,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “For these guys to cut down the nets after all they’ve sacrificed is pretty special.”
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UConn coach Hurley rues missed threes
UConn were always in the contest but coach Dan Hurley admitted they fell short due to Michigan’s dominance under the basket.
“They’re legit,” Hurley said. “They definitely deserved to win the national championship. They’re clearly the best team in the country this year. They’re just so hard to score against at the rim. I could talk about the 3s that we missed, and I thought we had a lot of good 3s that we missed. But they just made it so tough on us around the rim.
“That was probably what even got us more than the missed 3s was some of those rim shots, all those transition baskets. I think they cut it to four. Could have put some serious game pressure on them. They changed so many shots around the rim. They’re just so tall.”
The title was redemption for Cadeau after two seasons at North Carolina in which he struggled to make an impact.
“I’m just so proud of myself, where I came from,” he said. “Last year, I was really down on myself, a lot of people doubted me, and I’m just so proud of myself for me to be able to say I was the Most Outstanding Player and win a national championship at the same time.”
Hurley proud of players despite loss
UConn had another great season but just fell short of claiming the trophy for the third time in four seasons.
“Just what the group was able to overcome throughout the year, the growth, the way they played in March, just the whole experience that this team has given the coaches, the fan base, to play to the last – to be one of the last two teams standing,” Hurley added. “A lot of people talk about, ‘You’re better off losing in the first game in the Final Four than losing in the championship.’ That is the biggest bunch of crap of all. It is such bull. It is. It’s like, this is where you wanted to be. It hasn’t set in yet. On the flight tomorrow, it’ll set in, on the bus ride back.
“Eventually, it’ll hit you that you were close to pulling off what would have been a historic third championship. But this team just gave us so much this year. Just didn’t make enough shots.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: 101greatgoals.com
