SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Michigan's game plan used to revolve around offense, hitting enough shots to outscore teams. Sometimes it worked. Many times, often on the biggest stages, it didn't.

The Wolverines have made a shift in recent years, transforming into one of the nation's best defensive teams. If shots aren't falling, they can always win with defense.

It's gotten them to the national title game for the first time since 1989.

Now Michigan faces its biggest challenge yet: trying to stop Villanova's horde of long-range shooters in Monday night's national title game.

"That's as good a team as we've played that I can remember," Kansas coach Bill Self said after the Wildcats crushed his Jayhawks with a barrage of 3-pointers in the national semifinals Saturday night.

Michigan (33-7) reached the title game by taking away Cinderella's slipper, sending Loyola-Chicago and Sister Jean home a game short of completing their divine run.

Villanova bombed its way past a blue blood to get there.

The Wildcats (35-4) turned a Final Four showdown with fellow No. 1 seed Kansas into a laugher, dropping in 3-pointers like they were playing pop-a-shot in the 95-79 rout. Villanova made a Final Four-record 18 3s in a record-matching 40 attempts, its second trip in three seasons to the title game never in doubt.

That's an NCAA record 442 from the arc this season — and they're still counting.

"I feel bad for Kansas," Villanova coach Jay Wright said. "They're a great team, we just made every shot."

The third-seeded Wolverines (33-7) had a bit more trouble against the bracket's favorite underdogs, overcoming a frightful first half to send nun-turned-motivator Sister Jean Delores Schmidt headed to the exits early.

The Wolverines trailed the bracket-rambling Ramblers by seven at halftime, found the right gear in the second and have a title-game appearance no one outside of Ann Arbor saw coming when they were middling in the Big Ten just a month ago.

Now that they're done playing the favorite for a night, it's back to the underdog role against Villanova.

"The whole villain thing, you guys love to write about it, talk about it, but at the end of the day it's just basketball, you know?" Michigan big man Moe Wagner said. "And we just try to win. That's all we do.

Their next task: find some way to slow Villanova's 3-ball roll.

The Wildcats were one of the most proficient 3-point shooting teams during the regular season and upped the 3 ante in the NCAA Tournament, knocking down a record 65 and counting. Villanova broke the Final Four record with 13 in the first half and literally shot the lights out by the second, when some scoreboards and upper-level lights briefly went out and darkened the upper decks.

"It was one of those nights where we were able to make shots and that's what the lead looks like," said Villanova's Jalen Brunson, who had 18 points and six assists.

Michigan may have a better answer than the Jayhawks had.

Tired of watching victories fizzle away through defensive deficiencies, coach John Beilein made a philosophical change, putting an emphasis on that side of the ball.

It's worked out well.

Michigan had the nation's No. 3 defense efficiency-wise and put Loyola on lockdown in the second half, forcing the Ramblers into a rash of turnovers to race away.

"We always talk about getting the domino going," Loyola coach Porter Moser said. "They closed that gap of opportunity in a hurry."

Villanova has a way of doing that, too.

The Wolverines may have an answer in Wagner.

The German big man carried Michigan through its struggles in the first half by using his size advantage against the smaller Ramblers, snagging five offensive rebounds to notch a double-double by halftime.

Wagner finished with 24 points and 15 rebound to join Hakeem Olajuwon and Larry Bird as the only players to have at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in a national semifinal game.

"He's unbelievable. He's one of those dynamic scorers from the post, he's a great passer, made some unbelievable passers today with both hands," Villanova assistant coach Ashley Howard said. "He's a guy they can play through. We'll watch tape, try to figure out the best way to approach going into Monday night's game. It's going to be a challenge and we're looking forward to it." </s> SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Villanova bombed its way past a blueblood to reach the national title game. Michigan got there by taking away Cinderella’s slipper.

This end to March Madness should be good.

A wild NCAA Tournament of upsets comes down to this: Villanova and its squadron of long-range shooters against Michigan and its ultra-stingy defense, Monday night at the Alamodome.

The Wildcats (35-4) turned a Final Four showdown with fellow No. 1 seed Kansas into a laugher, dropping in 3-pointers like they were playing pop-a-shot in the 95-79 rout. Villanova made a Final Four-record 18 3s in a record-matching 40 attempts, its second trip to the title game in three seasons never in doubt.

The third-seeded Wolverines (33-7) had a bit more trouble against the bracket’s favorite underdogs, overcoming a frightful first half to send Loyola-Chicago and Sister Jean packing.

The Wolverines had trouble scoring in their Final Four game to trail Loyola-Chicago by seven at halftime, before finding the right gear in the second to run past the underdog Ramblers 69-57 into the title game.

Their next task: Find some way to slow Villanova’s 3-ball roll.

The Wildcats were one of the most proficient 3-point shooting teams during the regular season and upped the 3 ante in the NCAA Tournament, knocking down a record 65 and counting. Villanova literally shot the lights out by the second half, when some scoreboards and upper-level lights went out for a few minutes and darkened the upper decks.

Michigan may have a better answer than Kansas had.

The Wolverines have fixed the one thing holding them back in past seasons, developing a lockdown defense so they no longer have to simply outscore opponents.

Michigan had the nation’s No. 3 defense efficiency-wise and put Loyola on lockdown in the second half, holding the Ramblers to 1-of-7 shooting from 3 to send Sister Jean Delores Schmidt to the exits early.

The Wolverines are seeking their first national title since Glen Rice and Rumeal Robinson rumbled through the bracket in 1989. </s> SAN ANTONIO — Michigan has shored up the deficiency that always held it back, becoming one of the nation’s best defensive teams, not one of its worst. Out-shooting teams, no longer necessary.

This new-found stinginess has the Wolverines within reach of their first national title since Glen Rice and Rumeal Robinson rumbled through the bracket in 1989.

But their biggest test yet comes on college basketball’s brightest stage: Villanova and its squadron of long-range shooters with a national title on the line.

Michigan is good on D, but if the Wildcats shot like they did against Kansas in Saturday night’s Final Four nightcap, it may not matter what the Wolverines do.

“I feel bad for Kansas,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said. “They’re a great team, we just made every shot.”

Michigan (33-7) reached the title game by taking away Cinderella’s slipper, sending Loyola-Chicago and Sister Jean home a game short of completing their divine run.

Villanova bombed its way past a blueblood to get there.

The Wildcats (35-4) turned a Final Four showdown with fellow No. 1 seed Kansas into a laugher, dropping in 3-pointers like they were playing pop-a-shot in the 95-79 rout. Villanova made a Final Four-record 18 3s in a record-matching 40 attempts, its second trip to the title game in three seasons never in doubt.

That’s an NCAA record 442 from the arc this season — and they’re still counting.

“That’s as good a team as we’ve played that I can remember,” Kansas coach Bill Self said.

The third-seeded Wolverines (33-7) had a bit more trouble against the bracket’s favourite underdogs, overcoming a frightful first half to send nun-turned-motivator Sister Jean Delores Schmidt headed to the exits early.

The Wolverines trailed the bracket-rambling Ramblers by seven at halftime, found the right gear in the second and have a title-game appearance no one outside of Ann Arbor saw coming when they were middling in the Big Ten just a month ago.

Now they’re done playing the favourite for a night, it’s back to the underdog role against Villanova.

“The whole villain thing, you guys love to write about it, talk about it, but at the end of the day it’s just basketball, you know?” Michigan big man Moe Wagner said. “And we just try to win. That’s all we do.

Their next task: Find some way to slow Villanova’s 3-ball roll.

The Wildcats were one of the most proficient 3-point shooting teams during the regular season and upped the 3 ante in the NCAA Tournament, knocking down a record 65 and counting. Villanova broke the Final Four record with 13 in the first half and literally shot the lights out by the second, when some scoreboards and upper-level lights briefly went out and darkened the upper decks.

“It was one of those nights where we were able to make shots and that’s what the lead looks like,” said Villanova’s Jalen Brunson, who had 18 points and six assists.

Michigan may have a better answer than the Jayhawks had.

Tired of watching victories fizzle away through defensive deficiencies, coach John Beilein made a philosophical change, putting an emphasis on that side of the ball.

Michigan had the nation’s No. 3 defence efficiency-wise and put Loyola on lockdown in the second half, forcing the Ramblers into a rash of turnovers to race away.

“We always talk about getting the domino going,” Loyola coach Porter Moser said. “They closed that gap of opportunity in a hurry.”

Villanova has a way of doing that, too.

The Wolverines may have an answer in Wagner.

The German big man carried Michigan through its struggles in the first half by using his size advantage against the smaller Ramblers, snagging five offensive rebounds to notch a double-double by halftime.

Wagner finished with 24 points and 15 rebound to join Hakeem Olajuwon and Larry Bird as the only players to have at least 20 points and 15 rebounds in a national semifinal game.

“He’s unbelievable. He’s one of those dynamic scorers from the post, he’s a great passer, made some unbelievable passers today with both hands,” Villanova assistant coach Ashley Howard said. “He’s a guy they can play through. We’ll watch tape, try to figure out the best way to approach going into Monday night’s game. It’s going to be a challenge and we’re looking forward to it.” </s> SAN ANTONIO — The Latest on the championship of the NCAA Tournament (all times local):

Third-seeded Michigan doesn't have much support from the public when it comes to pulling off an upset of No. 1 seed Villanova.

Oddsmakers in Las Vegas set the opening line for the championship game favouring Villanova by 5 1/2 points, and gamblers quickly pushed that to 6 1/2 points by backing the Wildcats. Sports book data compiled by Pregame.com shows bettors are overwhelmingly backing Villanova in every respect, whether gambling on the spread or the money line. There also appears to be consensus between sharps and casual bettors.

Only about 3 per cent of brackets filled out on Yahoo and ESPN platforms selected Michigan as a title winner, while Villanova was the most popular champion on Yahoo and just behind Virginia as the most likely pick for champion before the tournament began.

Michigan has made a shift in recent years to transform into one of the country's best defensive teams. Villanova is dropping 3-pointers like pop-a-shot and making teams look far less skilled.

Both teams are preparing Sunday for the final game of the NCAA Tournament, as March Madness bleeds into April for the championship game on Monday night.

Michigan (33-7) got here by ousting Loyola-Chicago in the Final Four on Saturday night, sending home Sister Jean and her Ramblers, the fan-favourite underdogs. </s> There’s any number of reasons Jay Wright has Villanova back in the NCAA championship game and going for its second title in three years against Michigan tonight, after the Wildcats disposed of shell-shocked Kansas 95-79 in the Final Four national semifinal late Saturday night in San Antonio.

And while their defense and rebounding are beyond dispute and they can move the ball and find the open man better than anybody, the key to their success really comes down to one basic thing: Math.

Never was that more apparent than watching Nova systematically take apart the Jayhawks, who offered only sporadic resistance once the Wildcats broke out of the gates 22-4 in the first seven minutes. Each time Kansas tried to muster a rally with a layup or short jumper, Villanova had the answer. And more times than not it was worth three points, as the 35-4 Cats not only shattered the Final Four single game record with 18 3-pointers, but passed VMI for the all-time mark in a season. They’re now at 454 — and counting.

Somewhere along the way, Wright figured out that making a bunch of threes was more beneficial than all the layups in the world. When you factor in the kind of stifling defense Nova plays across the board, but particularly in the interior with Omari Spellman and Eric Paschall, it means getting behind Villanova will usually prove fatal.

“Obviously we're very talented offensively,” said All-America guard and AP Player of the Year, Jalen Brunson, one of seven Cats to drain treys against the helpless Jayhawks, who were nowhere near the team that knocked off Duke for the Midwest championship. “We have a lot of weapons, but when it comes to us staying together on defense, that's what makes it special. We're going to keep getting better and keep getting better tomorrow and be ready for Monday.”

That’s what John Beilein’s Wolverines will be up against after Michigan burst media darling Sister Jean and her Loyola of Chicago’s bubble, 69-57 in Saturday’s opener. Loyola made just one trey against the Wolverines, who weren’t all that efficient themselves, shooting just 42.4 percent, only 25 percent beyond the arc.

It’s Michigan’s second time in the title game in the last six years, the Wolverines falling to Louisville 82-76 in 2013. For Villanova, going for its second crown in the last three years, this will be the fourth time in the Big Game.

But you’ll only find three in the record books. Jack Kraft’s1971 team’s appearance was vacated following their 68-62 loss to UCLA when it was subsequently discovered star Howard Porter had secretly signed a contract with the ABA Pittsburgh Condors during the season.

The Wildcats made it back in 1985 when Rollie Massimino’s Cats stunned heavily favored Georgetown, led by Patrick Ewing, 66-64 for the school’s first title. Along the way, they pulled a early surprise, upsetting Southeast Region top seed Michigan, 59-55 in the second round.

That’s the only time they’ve ever met in the tournament and this will be only their fifth time they’ve gone head-to-head, Nova’s 60-55 early season win in 2014 giving them a 3-1 advantage. Of course, none of that will mean a thing Monday night in the Alamodome, where Villanova dispelled the common theory teams just don’t shoot well in such a setting, going a gaudy 18-for-25, 72 percent on two-point attempts, to go with their blistering 18-for-40, 45 percent from long distance.

Chances are they’ll cool off a bit against a 33-7 Michigan team that needed Jordan Poole’s 3-point buzzer beating prayer to get past Houston in the second round. The Wolverines have been on a roll since, largely thanks to their rugged defense and the inside play of center Mo Wagner.

But they’re no “Fab Five,” with a Chris Webber or Jalen Rose, meaning Michigan usually has to beat you with its physical play and grinding defense. It worked against teams like UCLA, Purdue and Michigan State twice, but Villanova is a different breed of Cat. The Wildcats can do much more than shoot the rock, their defense holding opponents to just 42.8 percent, while hitting 50.1 percent themselves. More telling is the 3-point disparity, 454-269, which accounts for a whopping 86.8-70.4 point differential.

“We've had some good ones, but this is definitely our best offensive team,” said Wright said following Nova’s 28th double digit latest win, 23 of them by at least 15 points. “We shoot them up and we sleep in the street. Sometimes they go in. Sometimes they don't. This is one of those nights where everything went in.”

For Villanova that’s been the rule this season rather than the exception. Tonight, taking nothing for granted, they go for all knowing full well one thing: The math favors them. </s> Villanova blows past Kansas 95-79 in Final Four with outburst of 3s to set up NCAA title game against Michigan

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Villanova blows past Kansas 95-79 in Final Four with outburst of 3s to set up NCAA title game against Michigan. </s> The Wildcats are headed to the March Madness final! Villanova and Kentucky faced off in the Final Four, and after an intense game, it was Villanova who took home the win!

This might have been the most anticipated game in the entire 2018 NCAA Men’s Division I basketball tournament. It was a clash between the last remaining No. 1 seeds. On one side of the court stood the Villanova Wildcats, the 2016 March Madness champions. On the other side were the Kansas Jayhawks a squad looking to return to the finale for the first time since 2012. In the end, Villenova come out on top, winning 95-79!

From the beginning it looked like trouble for the Jayhawks. Villanova went on a 9-0 run in the first half, which ended when Kansas called a time out. And frankly it’s been a while since a NCAA team has put away as many 3-point shots as the Wildcats on Saturday, March 31. They sunk 13 of 26 attempts in the first half alone. Ultimately they connected 18 triples, setting a new Final Four record. Although Kansas continued to pivot while attempting to keep up, Villanova simply dominated on the court — with a lead that went as high as 22.

And so ends the March Madness dreams for another Number 1 seed team. The 2018 tournament kicked off with one of the favorites to win, the University of Virginia, falling to the University of Maryland at Baltimore County. UMBC bounced the Cavaliers, breaking what had to be a billion brackets. Xavier made it through the first round, but fell to Florida State in the second. Kansas had no trouble eliminating Penn State in the opening round. Things were a bit closer when the Jayhawks faced Seton Hall in the second, but they got past, 83-79. The results were similar when Kansas sent Clemson packing, bouncing the Tigers back to South Carolina. The Jayhawks barely got by Duke, surviving a nail-biting quarterfinal match that went into overtime.

On the opposite end, Villanova pretty much cruised to this spot. They blew past Radford, Alabama, West Virginia and Texas Tech, winning all games by double digits. The closest challenge they had was a 90-78 victory over West Virginia, indicating how many suddenly though the title was Villanova’s to lose.

Going into this semi, many saw these two teams as being evenly matched. “They both have older players, no one-and-dones,” Penn state coach Steve Donahue said in a phone interview with the Philly Inquirer. “Whoever shoots the ball well from three will probably win the game because they both really can shoot it They are very similar teams, great coaching, good defensively but not great. They are really good offensive teams.” Villanova was leading the nation in scoring ahead of this game, averaging 86.6 points per game, while Kansas was 29th with 81.4 ppg. Now, basketball fans will have to wait until April 2, when March Madness comes to a close. </s> SAN ANTONIO, Texas – In the preceding game, Michigan and Loyola-Chicago combined for eight three-pointers. In 20 minutes of action, Villanova had knocked down 13, tying the Final Four record for most three-pointers…in a game.

They’d break that record in the second half, finishing the contest with 18 made treys, and a wire-to-wire win over Kansas 95-79. The entire Villanova starting five scored in double figures, led by forward Eric Paschall with 24 points.

Jalen Brunson, the AP National Player of the Year, chipped in 18 points and six assists. As a team, the Wildcats shot 55-percent from the field, while holding Kansas to 44-percent.

The Wildcats reach the NCAA Championship game for the second time in the last two seasons after beating North Carolina in 2016.

They will face Michigan on TBS, Monday, April 2nd at 9:20 p.m. </s> In an anti-climatic end to a tournament filled with surprises, Villanova cruised to its second men’s college basketball championship in three years Monday night, rolling past Michigan, 79-62, in San Antonio, Texas.

The No. 1-seeded Wildcats were led by Donte DiVincenzo, who poured in 31 points coming off the bench, including five 3-pointers. His scoring outburst was a record for a bench player in an NCAA championship game.

Someone check DiVincenzo for consciousness pic.twitter.com/6QfzlEkXMm — BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) April 3, 2018

The No. 3-seeded Wolverines were seeking their first national championship since 1989.

It was the third basketball title for Villanova, which also won in 2016 and 1985. The Wildcats, who were the highest-scoring team in the country, finished the year 36-4. They absolutely dominated the postseason, with a 17.7-point average margin of victory in the Big East and NCAA tournaments, and won all their NCAA tournament games by at least 12 points.

Also see: Notre Dame women win NCAA basketball title with stunning buzzer-beater

While the championship game lacked drama, this year’s tournament will be remembered for two shocking Cinderella stories: The University of Maryland-Baltimore County, who became the first 16th-seed in history to knock off a No. 1 seed; and Loyola-Chicago, the No. 11 seed who defied the odds to reach the Final Four in its first tournament appearance since 1985.
The Michigan Wolverines and the Villanova Wildcats advance to the National Championship Game after defeating the Loyola Ramblers and Kansas Jayhawks in the Final Four.