A tournament stacked with talent, upsets, and close games, 2026 March Madness had it all. In the end, Michigan took home its second-ever national championship with a dominant tournament run, featuring stars such Yaxel Lendenborg and Elliot Cadeau, who helped fuel the team’s historical season. Additionally, head coach Dusty May, named coach of the year, played a lead role in guiding Michigan throughout the tournament.
From the first round, immediate storylines struck as Kentucky sent Santa Clara home after sending the game to overtime on a last-second buzzer beater.
We also saw upsets of the 11-seeded Texas and VCU taking down BYU and North Carolina. While these were all exciting games, Luke Popovich ‘28, a basketball player and fan, says, “My favorite moment of the tournament was when #13-ranked High Point University upset #5-ranked Wisconsin.” High Point beat Wisconsin in a high-scoring 83-82 thriller, but the madness had just begun.
In later rounds of the tournament, #9-ranked Iowa took down the #1 seed and defending champions, the Florida Gators. Iowa then reached the Elite Eight before falling short to Illinois. Number 6-ranked Tennessee also claimed victories over higher-ranked teams in Virginia #3 and Iowa State #2. While these upsets were impressive and generated excitement across the country, the real madness struck in the Duke vs. UConn Elite Eight game.
UConn came back from down 19 points and stormed back to complete the 73-72 comeback win over Duke and the Boozer brothers.
Freshman Braylon Mullins secured the win with a last-second buzzer beater from 35 feet out.
“UConn’s comeback win was my favorite part of the tournament. It showed the greatness of March Madness. That game seemed to be an easy Duke victory until about the last 5 minutes. I’ve seen a lot of crazy plays over the years, but the end of that game is one of the all-time greatest,” said Jason Donnelly, the Sports Management teacher and college basketball fanatic.
Braylon Mullins ‘ buzzer-beater helped UConn continue their tournament run before falling to Michigan in the finals.
Aside from drama, we saw players live up to the expectations and make a name for themselves.
“One player who made a name for themselves the most in the tournament was Illinois’ Keaton Wagler. He showed his ability to knock down the 3-ball and how well he can maneuver his opponent’s defense,” sophomore Popovich said.
“Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau, who was the most outstanding player of the Final Four. On a team full of transfer portal guys, he was able to lead that group to the National Championship by playing nearly perfect all tournament long,” Donnelly said.
Along with these players, 18-year-old freshman Brayden Burries and senior Alex Karaban helped lead Arizona and UConn to their final four appearances.
Overall, this year’s tournament highlighted the unpredictability of college basketball and the stars that emerge. With unforgettable moments, upsets, and Michigan standing atop the chaos, the 2026 March Madness tournament is one to remember.
