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Michigan’s Roddy Gayle Jr. snagged a final rebound, then flung the ball to the other end of the court, effectively ending UConn’s frantic bid for a miracle.
Maybe a school really can build an ideal college basketball roster amid the topsy-turvy chaos of the transfer portal, paying players and top-to-bottom overhauls.
Michigan proved it Monday night, rolling out an all-transfer starting lineup that was too big, too strong and too capable of countering anything that UConn could muster — even on a night when the 3-point shot wasn’t falling and All-American Yaxel Lendeborg was hobbled by ankle and knee injuries.
The Wolverines still had enough to hold off the Huskies 69-63 and claim the program’s first title in 37 years.
And they showed how second-year Dusty May assembled a resilient roster by diving all the way into the portal.
“Man, this whole year, we were a team that played together,” Lendeborg said as he stood amid the confetti on the court at Lucas Oil Stadium. “We didn’t have a best player, like I said before. We have a guy that steps up big-time in these games.
Even before the game began, oddsmakers at BetOnline.ag had already released 2027 NCAAM Championship chances for nearly 100 teams. The full list of 360+ programs will be available as next season draws closer.
The expected blue chips are favorites from the list below, the Blue Devils at the top of the heap.
Michigan is tied for the fourth-best odds (16/1) while UConn is tied for eighth (18/1).
This season’s Cinderella squad, Miami-Ohio, has the longest odds on the board at 1000/1.
| 2027 NCAAM Champion | |
| Duke | 9/1 |
| Florida | 11/1 |
| Arizona | 14/1 |
| Kansas | 16/1 |
| Michigan | 16/1 |
| Michigan State | 16/1 |
| Illinois | 16/1 |
| Houston | 18/1 |
| Arkansas | 18/1 |
| Connecticut | 18/1 |
| Alabama | 22/1 |
| Texas Tech | 22/1 |
| North Carolina | 22/1 |
| BYU | 28/1 |
| St. John's | 28/1 |
| Purdue | 33/1 |
| Kentucky | 33/1 |
| Gonzaga | 40/1 |
| Iowa State | 40/1 |
| TCU | 40/1 |
| UCLA | 50/1 |
| Tennessee | 50/1 |
| Iowa | 50/1 |
| Missouri | 50/1 |
| Villanova | 55/1 |
| Virginia | 55/1 |
| Texas | 66/1 |
| Louisville | 75/1 |
| Wisconsin | 75/1 |
| Auburn | 80/1 |
| USC | 80/1 |
| Baylor | 100/1 |
| Indiana | 100/1 |
| LSU | 100/1 |
| Miami FL | 100/1 |
| Marquette | 100/1 |
| Nebraska | 100/1 |
| Vanderbilt | 100/1 |
| Texas A&M | 100/1 |
| Stanford | 100/1 |
| Maryland | 125/1 |
| Ohio State | 150/1 |
| Cincinnati | 150/1 |
| Clemson | 150/1 |
| Florida State | 150/1 |
| Creighton | 200/1 |
| Syracuse | 200/1 |
| Providence | 200/1 |
| Georgia | 200/1 |
| Oklahoma | 200/1 |
| Arizona State | 200/1 |
| Ole Miss | 250/1 |
| Washington | 250/1 |
| West Virginia | 250/1 |
| Virginia Tech | 250/1 |
| Pittsburgh | 250/1 |
| California | 250/1 |
| Oklahoma State | 250/1 |
| Oregon | 300/1 |
| NC State | 300/1 |
| SMU | 300/1 |
| San Diego State | 300/1 |
| UCF | 300/1 |
| VCU | 300/1 |
| Kansas State | 500/1 |
| Mississippi State | 500/1 |
| Xavier | 500/1 |
| Butler | 500/1 |
| Georgetown | 500/1 |
| Utah | 500/1 |
| Minnesota | 500/1 |
| Utah State | 500/1 |
| South Carolina | 500/1 |
| Wake Forest | 500/1 |
| DePaul | 500/1 |
| Northwestern | 500/1 |
| Penn State | 500/1 |
| Colorado | 500/1 |
| New Mexico | 500/1 |
| Rutgers | 500/1 |
| Seton Hall | 500/1 |
| St. Louis | 500/1 |
| Saint Mary's | 750/1 |
| Memphis | 1000/1 |
| Notre Dame | 1000/1 |
| Dayton | 1000/1 |
| Georgia Tech | 1000/1 |
| Boise State | 1000/1 |
| UNLV | 1000/1 |
| Nevada | 1000/1 |
| Colorado State | 1000/1 |
| Miami Ohio | 1000/1 |
