Predictions for Michigan vs. UConn in national championship game

James Hawkins, Connor Earegood, John Niyo and Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News predict the outcome of Monday's national championship game against UConn (8:50 p. m. , TBS).

Predictions for Michigan vs. UConn in national championship game ▶ James Hawkins: UConn has taken down one Big Ten team after another to reach the national title game, knocking off UCLA in the second round, Michigan State in the Sweet 16 and Illinois in the Final Four. Can it take down the Big Ten’s best?

Yaxel Lendeborg won’t be anywhere close to 100% after suffering an ankle and knee injury in the national semifinal. The Huskies have a championship pedigree after winning two of the last three titles and a battering ram inside in former Wolverine Tarris Reed Jr. But that won’t matter much if Michigan continues to knock down outside shots at a high clip, defend at a high level and control the paint on both ends.

Pick: Michigan, 82-75 ▶ Connor Earegood : It's a peculiar twist of fate that in three of the past four NCAA Tournaments they both made the field, Michigan and Michigan State both got knocked out by the same team. Texas Tech in 2019, and that crazy UCLA team that went from First Four to Final Four in 2021. Last year Auburn swept the state.