Villanova too good for Michigan
Wildcats claim second national title in three years
VILLANOVA 79, MICHIGAN 62
SAN ANTONIO Villanova won its second national championship in three years after a 79-62 victory over Michigan.
The Wildcats went 31 years between their first title in 1985 and their second one two years ago in Houston. Coach Jay Wright and Villanova didn’t have to wait long for another one.
A massive spark from Donte DiVincenzo and a defensive turnaround sparked Villanova. DiVincenzo scored 31 points off the bench as Villanova shut down Michigan from the perimeter.
Villanova (36-4) started flat at both ends, unable to slow the Wolverines off the dribble or make anything from the three-point arc after setting the Final Four record against Kansas on Saturday.
DiVincenzo provided an immediate offensive spark, stroking in long three-pointers and driving hard to the basket. He finished 10for-15 from the floor and 5-for-7 from the arc to help the Wildcats overcome a frustrating night for national player of the year Jalen Brunson.
Michigan (34-7) finished 3-for23 from the arc.
Villanova University students flooded the streets around campus to celebrate their team’s win as soon as the game finished Monday night, cheering and chanting.
In anticipation of celebrations, utility poles around the university had been greased, but that didn’t discourage some fans from climbing them.
Villanova, which trailed by seven points early in the title game in the Alamodome, won all six of its NCAA Tournament games by double figures.
Brunson left the game after being charged with his fourth personal foul with 10:51 to play.
Unlike in the semifinals against Kansas, it took a while for the Wildcats to hit their first three. DiVincenzo finally broke through at 12:44. They had six by that point against Kansas.
The Wolverines won their only national title in 1989. Michigan coach John Beilein, in his 11th season coaching the maize and blue and 40th season as a collegiate head coach, was trying to win his first national championship.
A moment of silence was held to commemorate the 50th anniversary this week of the death of Martin Luther King. Jr. before the game.
Back in 1985, before Villanova won its first national title, the Wildcats also faced Michigan in the NCAA Tournament. That was the only time those two teams met in the tournament — until Monday night in the championship game.
The Wolverines were a No. 1 seed 33 years ago when they lost 59-55 to No. 8 seed Villanova in their second-round game. The Wildcats then beat Maryland, North Carolina and Memphis State before their championship-clinching victory over Georgetown.
Villanova was 25-0 this season when allowing 75 points or fewer.
With the Wildcats beating Michigan, they are the third team in NCAA men’s Division I history to win at least 36 games and the national championship — joining Kentucky (38-2 in 2012) and Kansas (37-3 in 2008).
Villanova already set the national record for three-pointers made in a season, and with the Wildcats scoring at least 59 points on Monday, they finished the year as the highest scoring team in the country for the first time since 1950.
The last team to lead the nation in scoring and win the NCAA title was North Carolina in 2005.
The only others to do it since the NCAA began compiling the stats were Ohio State in 1960 — and Loyola of Chicago in 1963.
When the AP Top 25 pre-season men’s basketball poll came out, Villanova was a very respectable No. 6.
Michigan was an afterthought. The Wolverines were unranked when this season began, and didn’t even crack the Top 25 for the first time until mid-January. Michigan was 39th in the pre-season poll balloting, behind seven ranked teams that wouldn’t even end up making the NCAA Tournament — No. 10 USC, No. 14 Notre Dame, No. 15 Minnesota, No. 16 Louisville, No. 19 Northwestern, No. 22 Saint Mary’s, No. 24 Baylor.
Michigan wasn’t the only big pre-season poll whiff: Virginia ended the regular season ranked No. 1, and the Cavaliers were also unranked to start the season.
Only four teams in the last 50 years started the season unranked and won the NCAA title — UConn in 2011, Florida in 2006, Syracuse in 2003 and Villanova in 1985.