Michigan and Connecticut take to the court tonight in the title game of the NCAA men’s Division 1 basketball tournament.
JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:
The men’s college basketball championship game will be held tonight between Michigan and Connecticut in Indianapolis. Greg Echlin from Kansas Public Radio has been covering the Final Four and says that this game features contrasting styles, power against speed. UConn is a six-time NCAA champion in men’s basketball. And Michigan, on the other hand, has had its fair share of success on the hardwood but only one title. Hey, Greg.
GREG ECHLIN, BYLINE: Hi, Juana. How you doing?
SUMMERS: I am well. Let’s start off with the Wolverines, if we can. What do they need to do to reach that next level, that elite status in college basketball?
ECHLIN: Well, how about starting out by winning the game tonight…
SUMMERS: (Laughter).
ECHLIN: …As a No. 1 seed, with a 35-3 overall record. You know, everybody remembers some of the high-profile Michigan teams like the Fab Five that reached the Final Four in 1993. But that team, nor the remaining members of the Fab Five who got the Wolverines to the Final Four the following year, didn’t win a championship. In Michigan history, the Wolverines are 1-6 in title games. Their only title came in 1989. This team needs to add a trophy from tonight’s game to be considered an elite program.
SUMMERS: OK. And here’s something I find interesting. These two teams have never played each other in the NCAA tournament, but that does not mean they’re totally unfamiliar with each other, right?
ECHLIN: No, it doesn’t. UConn starter Tarris Reed Jr. played the first two seasons – his first two seasons – at Michigan before transferring to UConn. Reed Jr. decided to transfer after Dusty May’s predecessor, Juwan Howard, was fired as the Wolverines’ head coach. Reed Jr. says he met with Coach May but says he still decided to transfer.
TARRIS REED JR: Knowing how tough that – and ugly that season was, knowing that we’re both at the national championship game years later, so it’s pretty cool and pretty special.
ECHLIN: So Tarris Reed Jr. is wearing a UConn uniform and has turned into the Huskies’ leading scorer and rebounder. He’s part of a balanced, deliberate and physical Huskies offense, and those he left behind don’t hold any grudges. In fact, Nimari Burnett, a starting guard for Michigan, says that Tarris Reed Jr. was one of his favorite teammates when both were in Ann Arbor.
NIMARI BURNETT: He’s always been just a happy person, someone who is always joyful of the moment and just a joyful teammate, even during that time.
ECHLIN: Michigan finished 8-24 in 2024 and last in the Big Ten conference. Now, Burnett is with a rebuilt team that averages almost 88 points a game – 10 points more than UConn. The Wolverines can score in a flash, Juana.
SUMMERS: Now, we all remember those one-and-done teams, like Kentucky, that had players who would play in college for only one season then go and immediately turn professional. How are these two teams different from that?
ECHLIN: Well, each of these teams has been more of a blend between building through the transfer portal and recruiting through the high school ranks. Yes, UConn has transfers, but Coach Dan Hurley has built this program by developing a core of homegrown players like Alex Karaban. He played on the title teams in 2023 and ’24. A win tonight would give UConn its third title in four years, which would solidify its dynasty status.
This tournament has had its share surprises, Juana. But overall, the games have been very competitive. With two of the four teams in this year’s Final Four close in proximity to Indianapolis being from the Big Ten, there have been a lot of passionate fans making their way here.
SUMMERS: That’s Greg Echlin who will be reporting from tonight’s title game in Indianapolis. Hey, have fun.
ECHLIN: Thanks, Juana.
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