The Michigan Wolverines are finally national champions once more in men’s basketball, taking down the UConn Huskies, 69-63, to finish a thrilling NCAA Tournament in style at Lucas Oil Stadium on Monday night.

This is the first time Michigan has won since 1989, and just the second time in program history they’ve called themselves champions.

Meanwhile, the Huskies were looking to win their third title in the last four tournaments, but their shooting failed them in the end.  

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Elliot Cadeau celebrates during the first half of the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball national championship game against UConn at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana, on April 6, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

While both team’s offenses came into this game working like a machine, it was a low-scoring affair to kick off this game. Michigan only owned a 33-29 first-half lead by the buzzer, but it wasn’t Yaxel Lendeborg leading the way in the points department for the Wolverines.

The Michigan star, who is playing on a sprained left MCL and left ankle, which came during the win over Arizona in the Final Four, was just 1-of-5 shooting for four points in the first half. It was Morez Johnson Jr. (10 points) and Elliot Cadeau (seven points) finding some rhythm for the Wolverines.

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But it didn’t help that Michigan was scoreless from beyond the arc and shooting just 37% from the field. Meanwhile, UConn wasn’t doing themselves any favors either.

The Huskies shot just 33% in the first half, with Alex Karaban hitting two of his five three-point attempts. Solo Ball, who was spotted in a walking boot entering the game with “some type of foot sprain,” according to head coach Dan Hurley, had eight points on 3-of-4 from the field.

While they were down, UConn was certainly playing the type of game they wanted against Michigan – a rugged battle, especially on the glass. Michigan has shown its prowess of taking momentum and sprinting with it offensively, dominating opponents all year long, including this NCAA Tournament.

Yaxel Lendeborg of the Michigan Wolverines dribbles during the first half against the UConn Huskies in the National Championship of the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 6, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

However, the Huskies know their scratching and clawing abilities for 40 minutes allows them to never let an opponent feel comfortable. Just ask the Duke Blue Devils what happened in the Final Four.

The Huskies had that same demeanor in the second half, though it didn’t help they took a page out of the Wolverines’ first-half playbook – they couldn’t find the stroke from range. UConn was desperate to hit a three-pointer, but despite open looks, they couldn’t get one to fall as the Michigan lead eventually got to 11 points after Cadeau finally broke the seal for his squad on the opposite end, burying a three-pointer to get to a double-digit lead.

But Hurley was firing up the crowd as the Huskies never quit, cutting the lead to five with less than nine minutes to play in the game. Lendeborg, though, after shaking his head on the bench as he wasn’t having the game he hoped in the national championship, stepped up when he checked back in.

Lendeborg saw a sweet pass from Cadeau in transition and got the lead back to 11 with a tough layup, making it 56-45 with less than six minutes to play. He would also come in clutch with another two points following a Braylon Mullins three-pointer.

Once again, the Huskies wouldn’t quit, as Mullins finally found his shot beyond the arc, knocking that Michigan lead back to single digits with a follow-up three-pointer again to Lendeborg’s layups. But, just as gritty as the Huskies played, the Wolverines seemed to always have the answer in this hard-fought contest.

Head coach Dan Hurley of the UConn Huskies reacts during the first half of the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game against the Michigan Wolverines at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind., on April 6, 2026. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

A key example of that was, after Karaban buried a three-pointer to cut the Michigan lead to six, Trey McKenney stepped back and drilled a 26-footer with 1:49 left in the game to get the lead back to nine points. The Wolverines faithful in the crowd went ballistic, knowing how much that basket meant considering what UConn has been able to do in this tournament.

With 37 seconds left in the game, Ball got some help from the backboard, making a three-pointer to cut the lead to 67-63 for the Wolverines. Roddy Gayle Jr. made things more interesting in this game, as he couldn’t knock down his two free throw attempts for Michigan. But Karaban didn’t have another clutch three-pointer in him, coming up short with 13 seconds left.

That was it for UConn’s desperation attempt, and Michigan celebrated their win.

In the box score, Cadeau led all scorers with 19 points on 5-of-11 shooting and 8-of-9 from the free throw line. Lendeborg was just 4-of-13, though he still had 13 points. Johnson had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Wolverines as well.

Cadeau was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

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Michigan was just 2-of-15 from the three-point line, and head coach Dusty May even noted after the game getting dominated on the glass, as they were out-rebounded by UConn, 46-39.

The Huskies, though, couldn’t find it offensively. Karaban finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds, but shot just 4-of-14 and 3-of-10 from three-point territory. Tarris Reed Jr. had a double-double as well with 13 points and 14 rebounds, while Mullins, the hero against Duke with his half court shot, was only 4-of-17 for 11 points.

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Even the best golfers have days when their driver feels off. The key is knowing how to continue leveraging this advantage off the tee without letting it destroy your round.

That’s where the fairway-finder drive comes in handy.

Unlike the long bombs that everyone dreams of, this shot is all about control, consistency and keeping the ball in the short grass. As David Armitage, a GOLF Top 100 Teacher, explains, the fairway-finder drive isn’t just something to rely on when your swing is off — it’s a versatile tool that can help you navigate any course, in any condition.

To add this shot to your game, all you need to remember are Armitage’s five keys and this simple phrase: keep it small for more control.  

Tee it down

Instead of teeing it super high, Armitage says that you actually want to tee the ball down. 

“It’s almost like the top of the ball is level with the top of the face of the driver,” he says, “So it’s still teed up relatively high but not as high as the long bomb.”

This adjustment helps promote a lower, more penetrating ball flight that’s easier to control and keep on line.

Ball back in your stance

While your normal ball position with the driver is somewhere around the inside of your lead heel, Armitage explains that in order to generate a lower ball flight that rolls out, you need to play the ball further back in your stance.

“It’s just like 3-wood or 5-wood sort of ball position,” he says. 

Grip down 

Modern drivers can push well past 45 inches and that extra length isn’t always your friend if accuracy is the priority. Armitage says that choking down on the club can give you a bit more control without changing your motion.

“We really don’t need all that length [in the club],” he says, “We’re trying to find the fairway here.”

“When you are lower down on the club, you’ve got more control because you’re closer to the club head,” Armitage continues.

Focus on tempo 

If you want to find more fairways, Armitage says the priority is tempo. 

“All I want you to do is feel like you’re swinging a little more within yourself,” he explains. 

That doesn’t mean slowing down — it means finding a rhythm you can repeat under pressure. A smooth, balanced swing is very different from a tentative one. The goal isn’t to guide the ball, but rather, to make a controlled, committed motion that isn’t overly aggressive.

“Think smooth, you know, in rhythm — not something that’s going to be aggressive,” he says, “We’re trying to keep this in the fairway.” 

Trust your equipment 

Today’s equipment has also made this shot easier to trust than it used to be. Now, drivers are designed to perform more consistently across the face.

Take Callaway’s latest Quantum models, for example. They combine ultra-thin titanium, carbon fiber and an internal Poly Mesh structure to help stabilize the face at impact, leading to more consistent ball speed and direction — even on slight misses.

That forgiveness is further enhanced by a lighter chassis that allows weight to be positioned more precisely, tightening dispersion and improving overall stability. Paired with AI-driven face design, the result is more reliable performance across a wider area of the face, helping preserve speed, launch, and accuracy — exactly what you want from a fairway-finder.

Remember, the fairway-finder drive isn’t about distance. It’s about control and consistency. Whether your swing feels off or the hole demands precision, having this shot in your bag gives you a reliable option you can trust — which is key when trying to keep it in the first cut.

Callaway Quantum Triple Diamond Max Custom Driver

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