Michigan Final Four appearances: Wolverines' deepest March Madness runs

Dating back as far as the Players Era Festival in November,Michigan men's basketballhas been one of the top programs in the country for a majority of the season.

The Wolverinesstrengthened that claim by rolling past their four opponents in the first two weekends of the Men's NCAA Tournament, highlighted by acolossal 33-point win over No. 6 Tennessee in the Elite Eightthat came off from a 27-point performance from Yaxel Lendeborg.

So, is this the year that the Wolverines get over the hump and the season-long mission of being national champions with two wins at the Final Four?

Final Four odds:Expert picks to win March Madness

On part, because of its depth, experience and physicality inside the paint, Michigan has as good a chance as any of the four teams in Indianapolis to do that.Oddsmakers agree.

To get to their first national championship celebration since 1989, though, Dusty May's squad must get through a challenging No. 1 Arizona team with just as high a ceiling as Michigan and which brings as much physicality and presence around the rim as the Wolverines do.

Here's what to know on Michigan's history in the Final Four:

Advertisement

When was the last time Michigan went to Final Four?

It has been eight years since the Wolverines last reached the Final Four in 2018.

See the best photos of Michigan basketball's run to 2026 Final Four

Michigan basketball Final Four history

Michigan is making the ninth Final Four appearance in program history, but only seven of those are recognized by the NCAA after the Wolverines vacated appearances in the 1991-92 and 1992-93 seasons due to improper benefits paid by a booster to players.

Here's a breakdown of how Michigan has fared in the Final Four:

• 1964: lost semifinal to Duke, 91-80; lost third place game to Kansas State, 100-90

• 1965: won semifinal vs. Princeton, 94-76; lost final to UCLA, 91-80

• 1976: won semifinal vs. Rutgers, 86-70; lost final to Indiana, 86-68

• 1989: won semifinal vs. Illinois, 83-81; won final vs. Seton Hall, 80-79

• 1992: won semifinal vs. Cincinnati, 76-72; lost final to Duke, 71-51 *

• 1993: won semifinal vs. North Carolina, 81-78; lost final to North Carolina, 77-71 *

• 2013: won semifinal vs. Syracuse, 61-55; lost final to Louisville, 82-76

• 2018: won semifinal vs. Loyola-Chicago, 69-57; lost final to Villanova, 79-62

* Denotes vacated Final Four appearances

Michigan basketball Final Four record

The Wolverines are an official 5-1 in the Final Four in their six previous trips that are recognized by the NCAA. Michigan's lone loss in the Final Four came in 1964 when Dave Strack was the head coach, and the Wolverines finished as the co-champions of the Big Ten conference.

Michigan's last trip to the Final Four came in 2018 when it stopped Cinderella sweethearts Loyola-Chicago's (with viral sensation and legend Sister Jean) run in March Madness in the national semifinals. The Wolverines would then see their run come to an end in the national title game when it ran into the buzz saw of Villanova.

Has Michigan won a Men's NCAA Tournament national championship?

Yes, Michigan men's basketball has won the national championship once in program history, coming in the 1989 NCAA Tournament. To win the national championship that season, the Wolverines — the No. 3 seed in the Southeast Region — defeated No. 3 seed Seton Hall in a one-possession, overtime game thanks to 31 points from Glen Rice and 21 points from Rumeal Robinson.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:How many Final Fours does Michigan have? March Madness history

byAdministrator

in

01:06

Michigan Final Four appearances: Wolverines' deepest March Madness runs

Dating back as far as the Players Era Festival in November,Michigan men's basketballhas been one of the top programs ...

Read More

'Just don’t let her score': Betts delivers game-saving block for UCLA

PHOENIX —UCLA center Lauren Bettssaid she would do anything to play another day.

And with her senior season on the line, Betts delivered on that promise with a massive block in the closing seconds of UCLA's Final Four semifinal matchup to secure a 51-44 win over Texas on Friday. Betts helped the Bruins to their first NCAA national championship bid, where they'll meet No. 1 South Carolina on Sunday at Mortgage Matchup Arena.

"This is something that we've all dreamed of being in the position in. We're all very thankful. We expected to be here," said Betts, who finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in the win. "Tonight we'll all celebrate with our families and soak this in. Tomorrow we have to lock in and prep for another 1-0."

It wasn't a pretty victory, so much so that UCLA head coach Cori Close felt the need to "apologize to all the fans for the rugby match and the 23 turnovers."

"I felt guilty walking off the floor because it wasn't pretty any shape or form," Close added. "But you know, the reality its really all toughness at this point and finding a way to make a winning play. Even if it's a winning play, you wouldn't have predicted or chosen."

UCLA led by as many as 10 points in the fourth quarter, before Texas pieced together a 7-0 run to cut its deficit to one possession. Texas' Madison Booker looked to stretch the run and drove to the basket after picking up a defensive rebound. But, Booker's shot attempt was emphatically swatted away by Betts, who recovered the rebound with 18.1 seconds remaining.

Betts let out a roar as ESPN play-by-play Ryan Rucco called it a "block for the ages."

"As soon as I saw (Booker) getting downhill, I'm like, all right, please block this, just don't let her score," Betts said with a smile. "I was in a good position. I trust my work and my defense."

Texas didn't score the remainder of the game. UCLA held Booker to six points, shooting 3-of-23 from the field and 0-of-4 from the 3-point line. Rori Harmon added eight points on 4-of-11 shooting.

Advertisement

Betts' feat was even more impressive considering she suffered a scary fall in the third quarter. She collided with Booker on a rebound attempt and hit her head hard on the court. Betts remained down on the court for several minutes while holding her head.

"I'm not going to lie, it hurt. It hurt pretty bad," Betts said. "I feel like when you're in a situation, you're playing in the Final Four, your season's on the line, you've got to get over it and keep playing. There was no way I was coming out of the game."

The victory not only extended UCLA's winning streak to a program-high 30 games, but it avenged the Bruins' lone loss of the season to Texas in November. Texas head coach Vic Schaefer credited UCLA for coming out aggressive and playing "a lot like we like to play."

"The love that we have for each other truly drives us to just compete so hard. Like, we want this so bad for each other," Betts added. "The way we come out, the way we prep, the way we practice, the way we work on defense, the way we go for steals, that's all because we just want to earn more days with each other. We want to make history. We want to do this for each other... To earn a few more days, it's everything to us."

Betts called transferring to UCLA in 2023 after her freshmen year at Stanford "the best decision I've ever made."

"UCLA has changed my life for the better," she said. "I've gained a certain level of confidence. I've done things that I never thought I'd be able to do my freshman year. The amount of experiences I've had, people that I've met here, have been amazing. I'm just super grateful."

Reach USA TODAY National Women's Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at@CydHenderson.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news 10 points with 8:33 refast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Lauren Betts' block delivers UCLA to first NCAA national championship game

byAdministrator

in

01:06

'Just don’t let her score': Betts delivers game-saving block for UCLA

PHOENIX —UCLA center Lauren Bettssaid she would do anything to play another day. And with her senior season on ...

Read More

Texas' Rori Harmon defends Madison Booker after emotional Final Four loss to UCLA

PHOENIX —Madison Bookerfought back tears at Friday's postgame press conference as she pondered how UCLA was able to neutralize her inTexas' 51-44 Final Four lossto the Bruins in Phoenix.

"I actually have no idea... I don't know. I just..." Booker said as she paused to gather herself.

Booker was held to six points in Texas' second consecutive Final Four loss, where she shot 3-of-23 from the field and 0-of-4 from the 3-point line. But Booker didn't have the opportunity to pin the loss on herself. Rori Harmon emphatically interjected: "(Booker's) going to sit here and be like, 'This is on me.' No, it's not."

"You got to realize, (Madison Booker) is human. She's a basketball player," Harmon said. "I truly told Maddie, 'I don't care.' I don't care what your statistics look like. There was plenty of other things that caused us to lose the game, not just because Madison (Booker) missed her money midrange, because I promise you we'll continue to go back to her, we'll continue to look for her, we'll continue to tell her to take her shot."

Women's Final Four showcases top-ranked teams going head-to-head

Booker entered Friday's Final Four on a heater, shooting 61.6% from the field over her last five games. The junior forward scored the first points of the night, but missed her next 17 shots from the field — the longest streak of missed field goals in Final Four history — according to ESPN. Booker said UCLA's length and size bothered her, but she admitted it came as a "surprise when I couldn't get out of my funk."

"It felt like every shot I put up, it felt like it was going to be money, but no," Booker said. "I think my teammates did a great job today at just making sure my spirits were high, my confidence was still high. Every shot, I shot it with confidence."

Booker and Harmon have been Texas' dynamic duo all season long. The pair holds a 81-8 record when they play together, but their eighth loss together stings the most. It not only marks the end of Texas' title pursuit, it marks the end of Booker and Harmon's run together as teammates.

Advertisement

It lead to a question Booker and Harmon were dreading. "We were hoping that we would never hear that question today," Booker said, when asked what she'll miss most about Harmon.

"That's my sister," Booker said through tears. "Just her growth just over the years since I've been here. I mean, my first year coming in, it didn't go as planned. We didn't play a full year together. Her going down with her ACL. Her coming back and being even stronger. I've learned so much from her. Impact on and off the court. Our relationship we built. There's not many words to describe it. I mean, I will always root for Rori no matter what."

Booker said she "wouldn't be me without Rori Harmon," a statement that made Harmon emotional.

Texas head coach Vic Schaefer has full confidence in Booker and predicted she'll be back in the Final Four.

"Sometimes it just happens. ... She going to have the same opportunity again," Schaefer said. "She's 555 points from being the all-time leading scorer in the University of Texas. Her jersey, No. 35, will be hanging from the rafters next to KD's if I have anything to do with it. She's really special. She continues to grow."

Reach USA TODAY National Women's Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at@CydHenderson.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news —Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Madison Booker breaks down as Texas season ends, Rori Harmon defends her

byAdministrator

in

01:06

Texas' Rori Harmon defends Madison Booker after emotional Final Four loss to UCLA

PHOENIX —Madison Bookerfought back tears at Friday's postgame press conference as she pondered how UCLA was able to n...

Read More