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The Breakfast Buffet: March Madness Edition

Who’s hungry for college basketball?

Here’s today’s installment of “The Breakfast Buffet”, a daily column that can be found here every single morning getting you caught up to date on everything that’s happened from the day/night before and everything that’s going to happen in the next 24 hours.

Mangia!

Things To Sample

Michigan won the national title in the mud
The Wolverines averaged 94.4 points in their first five NCAA Tournament games, but only scored 69 in Monday night’s six-point win over UConn. It wasn’t a vintage performance by Michigan, but it was a championship level effort by a team that reiterated that it can win in multiple ways. The best team in college basketball grinded out a national title, which is the program’s first since 1989.

Elliot Cadeau is an incredible redemption story
A year ago, Cadeau left North Carolina after an incredibly disappointing season. 12 months later, the junior point guard was the linchpin to Michigan’s national title run. Cadeau averaged 16.0 points and 6.5 assists in two Final Four games this weekend, earned the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player honors, and ran the Wolverines’ offense with the focus of a surgeon. His journey is yet another reminder that tough situations in life can be the incubators to incredible turnarounds.

Aday Mara’s defense on Tarris Reed was exquisite
It’s not shots blocked — it’s shots altered. The 7-3 Mara anchored Michigan’s defense at the front of the rim and completely neutralized Reed, who had played up until Monday night like the best big man in the NCAA Tournament. The 6-10 Reed still tallied a double-double — 13 points and 14 rebounds — against Michigan, but Mara’s presence held him to just 4-12 shooting. This was a major difference in the game and drastically affected UConn’s ability to establish an inside/out game to get open three-point shots.

On The Side

  • Michigan is the first Big Ten team to win a national title since 2000.
  • A salute to UConn’s Alex Karaban, a two-time national champion who has been one of the great winners that college basketball has seen in many, many years. Walk proud, young man. Today. Tomorrow. And forever.
  • Michigan was 25-28 from the free throw line against UConn.
  • Michael Malone is the first North Carolina head coach to not have a direct connection to the Tar Heels since Frank McGuire was hired in 1952.
  • I’ll say it one more time: The Final Four should be in Indianapolis every year. 

Leftovers