The final game of the 2025-26 college basketball season is set for Monday night as the UConn Huskies battle the Michigan Wolverines for the National Championship. The Huskies are looking to claim their third national title in the last four seasons under Dan Hurley, while Dusty May's Wolverines are searching for the second national title in program history.
Fans of Indiana basketball won't be happy regardless of who wins the National Championship on Monday night in Indianapolis. The harsh reality of the the matchup between UConn and Michigan means that players and coaches with significant ties to The Hoosier State will be named champions for a team other than Indiana.
Braylon Mullins is already a March Madness legend
UConn freshman guard Braylon Mullins has already cemented his legacy in March Madness lore. Mullins drained one of the most iconic shots in NCAA Tournament history with his buzzer-beating three-pointer against Duke to send UConn to the Final Four.
OH MY GOODNESS 😱
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2026
UCONN LEADSSSS UNBELIEVABLE #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/IPX2JWiw0b
Mullins hails from Greenfield, IN, and orchestrated a sensational high school career at Greenfield-Central that culminated in earning Indiana Mr. Basketball honors in 2025. He was a consensus 5-star prospect and was ranked as the top player in the state of Indiana by 247Sports. Given his close proximity to Bloomington, he was a top priority for then-head coach Mike Woodson and the Hoosiers.
Indiana commit has Hoosier fans fired up for the future with his latest comments
However, Mullins committed to Dan Hurley and the Huskies on October 23, 2024. He's made an immediate impact in Storrs, as he's appeared in all 32 games with 28 starts and is averaging 12.0 points and shooting 43% from the field while playing 28 minutes per game.
Mullins now has a chance to become a National Champion on Monday night playing less than an hour away from his hometown.
Dusty May has Hoosier fans wondering what could have been
Michigan head coach Dusty May has emerged into one of the top coaches in all of college basketball. May led Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2022-23 as a No. 9 seed, and has Michigan on the verge of a national title in his second season in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines have been arguably the best team in the country all season long, and have cruised to the natty by winning their five tournament games by an average of 21.6 points per game.
Fans of Indiana basketball are plenty familiar with the Michigan head coach. May was born and raised in Indiana and was a team manager at IU under Bob Knight from 1996-2000. He then served as a video coordinator and administrative assistant for the Hoosiers from 2002-05.
When Indiana moved on from Mike Woodson, May's name was floated around as a potential replacement at his alma mater. However, Indiana hired Darian DeVries and May stayed at Michigan. DeVries put together an underwhelming first season in Bloomington, while May has Michigan looking unstoppable. Thus, Indiana basketball fans can only wonder what could have been.
Like Mullins, May now has a chance to win a natty in his home state and right in IU's backyard. No matter who wins tonight, it's a lose-lose situation for IU fans.