No. 1 seeds rule again as Michigan claims NCAA title over UConn

The Michigan Wolverines have won the NCAA championship for just the second time in program history, defeating the UConn Huskies in this year’s March Madness final. UConn had been chasing its third title in four years.

Cadeau leads Michigan to the title

Led by tournament MVP Elliot Cadeau, who scored a game-high 19 points, Michigan edged a tight contest 69-63 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Cadeau, Morez Johnson Jr., who added 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Aday Mara, the first Spaniard ever to win the NCAA championship, were named to the All-Tournament team. They were joined by the Huskies’ Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban. Names to remember for the future.

How many times has a No. 1 seed won March Madness?

The Wolverines’ victory is further proof of how reliable the March Madness seeding system can be.

Since the tournament expanded to its current 64-team format in 1985, there have now been 41 national champions. Of those, 27 (65.8%) were No. 1 seeds, with Michigan the latest to follow that trend.

A trend worth remembering

That pattern has been even more pronounced in recent years, with top seeds living up to expectations almost annually. A No. 1 seed has won 15 of the last 19 championships (78.9%), a statistic to keep in mind when filling out your bracket for March Madness 2027.

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