Michigan, Villanova Set Up for NCAA Final to Remember

It took until the Final Four, but a March Madness dominated by underdog stories and torn-up brackets will end with the type of championship game that the experts would have expected.

Despite the prayers of Sister Jean, the improbable run of Loyola-Chicago ended Saturday in the second half once the Wolverines’s Moritz Wagner took over in a 69-57 win. In the other Final Four matchup, Villanova bombarded Kansas with 18 3-pointers on the way to a dominant 95-79 win. It’s the second trip to the finals in three years for the Wildcats.

That sets up a final that should be much, much closer.

Charles Matthews #1 of the Michigan Wolverines goes up for a dunk in the second half against the Loyola Ramblers in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Final Four semifinal game at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Schwaberow – Pool/Getty Images)

Getty Images

“The two favorites won their Final Four games, and now Michigan and Villanova will play in the championship game, two recognizable basketball brands with tradition and history and three national titles between them,” wrote ESPN’s Andrea Adelson.

“To up the intrigue just a smidge, Michigan enters as the hottest team in the nation, Villanova as the best team in the nation. Michigan is a team that has won with defense and toughness; Villanova is a team that has won with an offensive efficiency that is masterful and beautiful all at once.”