INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — High-scoring Michigan had to get down and dirty to dig out the national title, making only two 3-pointers all night but still muscling its way to a 69-63 victory over stingy, stubborn UConn. Elliot Cadeau led the Wolverines with 19 points, including the team’s first 3, which came 7:04 into the second half. The second, from freshman Trey McKenney, came with 1:50 left and felt like a dagger, giving the Wolverines a nine-point lead. UConn fought to the finish in a game that had a 1950s feel. Alex Karaban scored 17 points for UConn, which was denied in its bid for a third title in four seasons.
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Oklahoma has hired Lucas McKay as its first men’s basketball general manager. McKay leaves Clemson, where he had the same role. He has more than 20 years of experience in college basketball, including 14 years at Clemson under coach Brad Brownell. He joins an Oklahoma program that decided to retain coach Porter Moser after the Sooners finished 21-16 and lost to West Virginia in the College Basketball Crown Tournament final. Oklahoma had already hired former Sooners star Trae Young as assistant GM. Young currently plays for the Washington Wizards.
UNDATED (AP) — UCLA finished the season at No. 1 in The Associated Press women's basketball Top 25 after defeating South Carolina to win its first NCAA championship. The Bruins were a unanimous choice from the 31-member national media panel. The Gamecocks were second, with UConn and Texas third and fourth. The SEC and the Big Ten each had eight teams in the final Top 25 of the season. The ACC had five and The Big 12 three.
UNDATED (AP) — Audi Crooks is one of nine Iowa State players who officially entered the NCAA transfer portal Monday on the first day it was open. The nation’s second-leading scorer is one of more than 1,100 Division I women’s basketball players who entered the portal within the first 12 hours after it opened just after midnight, according to an Associated Press review of the portal. In January, the NCAA approved moving the portal’s opening to the day after the national championship game for a 15-day window.
UNDATED (AP) — The Tennessee Lady Vols’ struggles haven’t ended since finishing the season on an eight-game skid capped by a first-round NCAA Tournament loss. Coach Kim Caldwell had no players with eligibility left wanting to play for Tennessee anymore as of Monday. Jaida Civil was the last player with eligibility remaining only to announce Monday morning her departure after one season. Civil was part of Caldwell’s 2025 recruiting class rated No. 1 nationally by 247Sports. She joined four other Lady Vols in the portal that opened Monday including Talaysia Cooper, Kaniya Boyd, Alyssa Latham and Lauren Hurst.
UNDATED (AP) — John Blackwell says he’s leaving Wisconsin after scoring 19.1 points per game for the Badgers this season. Blackwell issued an Instagram post Monday saying he won’t return to Wisconsin next season and is instead going through the NBA draft process while also entering his name in the transfer portal. The transfer portal for basketball officially opens Tuesday. The 6-foot-4 guard had 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for Wisconsin as a junior while helping the Badgers go 24-11.  He made 2.8 3-pointers per game and shot 38.9% from beyond the arc.
PHOENIX (AP) — Cori Close and the UCLA Bruins are going to have to work hard to repeat as champions. They lose their top six players to graduation after putting on one of the most dominant performances in championship history to win their first NCAA title and second overall, routing South Carolina by 28 points. But with the transfer portal opening Monday, the UCLA coach can build a new team quickly. Close has said that the school will be very active, looking to add five players. Challenging the Bruins will be the runner-up Gamecocks and coach Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks will be one of the favorites for the title when the Final Four moves to Columbus, Ohio, next year.
PHOENIX (AP) — The women’s Final Four looked as though it might be a classic, featuring a quartet of the game’s marquee programs along with a number of veteran stars and iconic coaches. Three sloppy basketball games later, it feels like another missed opportunity. Much like last year’s title mismatch. The sport is on the rise but the last two Final Fours have featured blowouts, long-distance shooting struggles and point-blank misses. The lasting memory from this year’s Final Four likely won’t be a basketball moment. UConn coach Geno Auriemma angrily confronted South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, leading to a tense moment between two of the game’s top coaches.
