Michigan and UConn Are Running It Back in November and the Rosters Won't Even Look the Same

Michigan's national championship team is heading to Boston in November to face UConn in a rematch nobody saw coming this fast. According to multiple reports, Wolverines coach Dusty May and Huskies coach Dan Hurley have agreed to play the title game again on November 6, with only official signatures needed before the programs announce it publicly.

Let that sink in for a second. These two teams just battled it out in the Final Four at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis back in April, with Michigan taking it 69-63. Guard Elliot Cadeau led the way with 19 points as the Wolverines claimed their second national basketball title. Now they're doing this all over again.

Two Teams, Completely Different Rosters

Here's the wild part: both teams are going to look almost unrecognizable next season. Michigan has to rebuild after losing All-American Yaxel Lendeborg, power forward Morez Johnson, and 7-foot-4 center Aday Mara. All three are gone this offseason, which means coach Dusty May has massive holes to fill after winning it all with fresh faces and transfers that kept them ranked in the top three for most of the final two months of the regular season. They won the Big Ten. Now they have to do it all over again with a new cast.

UConn's situation is just as brutal. The Huskies are moving forward without three key pieces. Forward Alex Karaban, their leading scorer Tarris Reed Jr., and Malachi Smith all exhausted their college eligibility. Three names that carried them through the tournament are gone.

A Rare Matchup in College Basketball History

This rematch is only the second time a men's college basketball national title game has been run back the following season since Duke and Butler did it in 2010. Villanova and Michigan did it in 2018. So yeah, this is legitimately rare.

Both teams will be tested immediately. A championship rematch in early November with almost completely different rosters? That's the kind of game that defines whether a coach can truly build something or if last season was just lightning in a bottle.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.