Michigan
Purdue
Wolverines to Face Boilermakers for Big Ten Tournament Crown
3/14/2026 9:03:00 PM | Men's Basketball
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Following its dramatic last-second win over Wisconsin, Big Ten regular-season champion and third-ranked Michigan (31-2, 19-1 Big Ten) will face 18th-ranked Purdue (26-8, 13-7 Big Ten) in the Big Ten Tournament championship on Sunday (March 15) at the United Center. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. CT (3:30 p.m. ET) on CBS, with Ian Eagle, Grant Hill, Bill Raftery and Tracy Wolfson on the call.
Big Ten Tournament Quick Notes
• Michigan has won four Big Ten Tournament titles (1998, 2017, 2018, 2025).
• U-M has earned the No. 1 seed three times (2014, 2021, 2026).
• U-M will make its seventh championship appearance in the Big Ten Tournament.
• U-M has advanced to six championship games and carries a 4-2 record.
• U-M is one of three teams to win back-to-back tournament titles (2017, 2018).
Notes
• Michigan returns to the Big Ten Tournament championship game for the second straight season. Last year, the Wolverines defeated Wisconsin, 59-53, to claim the program's fourth tournament title.
• Michigan has reached the title game in dramatic fashion in back-to-back seasons. Last year, Tre Donaldson's coast-to-coast layup at the buzzer lifted U-M past Maryland in the semifinal, while this season Yaxel Lendeborg's three-pointer with 0.3 seconds remaining sent the Wolverines past Wisconsin.
• U-M holds a 5-1 record against Purdue in Big Ten Tournament play. The 2026 matchup will mark the third Big Ten Tournament championship meeting between the programs, with Michigan winning the previous two in 1998 (Chicago) and 2018 (New York City).
• In the semifinal, Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg hit the game-winning three-pointer to lift No. 1 seed Michigan to a 68-65 win over No. 5 seed Wisconsin. Lendeborg finished with 12 points and five rebounds, while Aday Mara led U-M with 16 points, eight rebounds and five blocks.
• Michigan built a 15-point second-half lead, but Wisconsin answered with a 17-2 run fueled by five three-pointers. Elliot Cadeau hit a go-ahead three with 45 seconds left, and after Wisconsin tied the game, Lendeborg delivered the winner with 0.3 seconds remaining.
• Michigan advanced to the semifinal with a 71-67 quarterfinal win over No. 8 seed Ohio State, as Mara scored 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting with seven rebounds and two blocks, while Cadeau added 15 points and seven assists.
• After Ohio State briefly took the lead late, Michigan's defense held the Buckeyes to one field goal in their final nine attempts. Cadeau tied the game with two free throws before Mara recorded a key block, and Morez Johnson Jr. scored a transition layup to give U-M the lead for good.
• Michigan previously defeated Purdue 91-80 at Mackey Arena, taking control with a 16-0 first-half run and leading by as many as 20 points before the Boilermakers trimmed the margin late.
• Six Wolverines scored in double figures in that win, led by Cadeau's 17 points and seven assists. Lendeborg added 13 points and seven assists, while Trey McKenney and L.J. Cason each scored 13 points off the bench.
• Johnson Jr. (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Mara (10 points, 11 rebounds) each recorded double-doubles in the victory.
