CHICAGO − Michigan basketball is officially elite.
There was little doubt about that fact, but now it’s literally true, as the 1-seed Wolverines defeated 4-seed Alabama, 90-77, on Sunday, March 27, in the Sweet 16 at United Center to advance to the Elite Eight game Sunday afternoon in the Midwest Regional final.
The Wolverines will play the winner of the second regional semifinal late Friday night between 2-seed Iowa State vs. 6-seed Tennessee. The Elite Eight regional final will be Sunday at 2:15 p.m. ET (CBS).
A historic season now has another notable distinction: Michigan (34-3) has won more games in 2025-26 than in any other season in program history thanks to a 23-8 spurt to open the second half against the Tide and never look back.
Big Ten player of the year Yaxel Lendeborg collected 23 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, shooting 8-for-12 overall and 4-for-5 on 3s, and Elliot Cadeau added 17 points and six assists.
Michigan's top bench pieces came through with extremely efficient games: freshman Trey McKenney scored 17 and senior Roddy Gayle Jr. scored 16, which included a season-high three 3-pointers and a momentum-swinging and-one in the second half as the Wolverines separated.
Yaxel Lendeborg went OFF vs Alabama:
23 PTS
12 REB
7 AST#MarchMadnesspic.twitter.com/zjUQHmzAQq— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 28, 2026
Michigan beat Alabama at its own game: Coach Nate Oats’ team came in attempting more 3s than any team in the nation, yet it was the Wolverines who went 13 of 27 (48.1%) while Alabama made 14 but needed 46 tries (30.4%).
Alabama's Labaron Philon Jr. poured in a game-high 35 points (10-for-21 shooting, 6-for-14 on 3s) for Oats, who a decade ago was at Romulus High School, less than 25 minutes from Ann Arbor.
Michigan coach Dusty May and the Wolverines adjusted with physicality and defensive focus in the second half. Michigan outscored Alabama, 43-28, in the second half.
Michigan trailed 49-47 at halftime to Alabama, which tempted the Wolverines into a frenzied 3-point shootout and quelled their size mismatch.
Michigan had more points off turnovers (14-7), rebounds (46-32), bench points (33-6), points in the paint (32-18), fastbreak points (17-4) and blocks (8-1).
Now, U-M is one win away from cutting down the United Center nets.
Yaxel Lendeborg takes over
Michigan blitzed Alabama out of the break, which started with a Lendeborg crossover step-back 3. He shook his head after it ripped the twine, as if to say, this is too easy. He had an offensive rebound and putback on the next possession, and later stole a Tide inbound pass and threw an outlet up court to a streaking Nimari Burnett for a slam to go up three.
After Lendeborg found Gayle for his and-one finish in traffic, Lendeborg drilled a 3 from the left wing for a 60-51 edge, after the Tide defender went under a screen, then held up his hands as 3-point goggles to his eyes.
He added another driving layup, Gayle sunk a corner 3, McKenney finished a Euro-step lefty layup and Cadeau nailed a 3 from the left wing and turned his head to the crowd and yelled "Boom" as he strutted down court with U-M up 70-57 after its seventh straight made shot.
Alabama crept as close as 75-67 with 7:49 to play after scoring seven straight, but Aday Mara came flying in for a put-back slam to end the run. The Tide never came within 10 again.
Track meet breaks out
As expected, it was run-and-gun from the jump.
The Wolverines had a rare slow start as the Tide hit three early 3s to take an 11-2 lead. Michigan, as it tends to do, responded in a flash, going on a 12-2 run, which included 3s by Lendeborg and then McKenney to take their first lead, 14-13.
McKenney, the 2025 Michigan Mr. Basketball from Orchard Lake St. Mary's, hit his second 3 in the first three minutes after checking in to go up 18-17.
The rest of the half was played within two possessions, both high-powered offenses trading one blow after another.
Michigan gave the ball away six times in the first half, with two leading to back-to-back Alabama 3s and a 28-22 Tide lead.
Down 38-33, the Wolverines got a tough righty floater by Gayle as the shot clock expired, a transition layup from McKenney on an outlet pass from Lendeborg and then a corner 3 by Gayle to take the lead.
McKenney drilled his third 3-pointer of the game, again from the left wing, before Gayle hit from the same spot and looked at McKenney, holding up three fingers before both let out a simultaneous roar.
Michigan’s lead grew to six behind a 14-3 run, but the Tide punched back last as Philon scored eight straight points in the final two minutes to put Alabama up two at the half, while Michigan missed its final five shots.
But Michigan was a different team defensively in the second half, and its offense stayed potent to reach the Elite Eight, a year after losing in the Sweet 16 to Auburn.
Tony Garcia is the Michigan beat writer for the Detroit Free Press. Email him at apgarcia@freepress.com and follow him on X at @RealTonyGarcia.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan basketball powers past Alabama 90-77 to reach Elite Eight