INDIANAPOLIS — Less than an hour after the 2026 national title game ended, Michigan guard Elliot Cadeau was feeling himself. He had every reason to after having one of the best performances of his lengthy and turbulent career.

Just over a year after a split with North Carolina, Cadeau was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four after finishing with 19 points in his team’s 69-63 win over UConn on Monday, concluding one of the best redemption stories of the transfer portal era.

So, when it was time to send a message to his doubters amid all the criticism he had faced since he arrived at North Carolina during his freshman season in 2023, he was ready to clap back.

“They said I couldn’t do it, they tried telling me I was ass, man,” Cadeau said on Instagram live. “The f— are they talking about. They tried to tell me I was ass. Stupid.”

Cadeau had every reason to celebrate. Michigan won its first national title since 1989 and completed one of the most dominant NCAA Tournament runs this century. And to get over the hump to win the program’s second national title and the first by a Big Ten program since 2000, Michigan had to take out a UConn team eyeing a dynasty and its third title in four years.

“America learned that stats is one thing but you see he’s the best point guard in the country because of his decision making,” Michigan guard Nimari Burnett said. 

“I can tell that he put in the work and that he was ready to make a huge shooting jump. He was ready for the big-time moments throughout the course of the year.”

The turning point 

Two years ago, Alabama’s defensive game plan for its Sweet 16 matchup against North Carolina was simple: Dare Cadeau to shoot.

Could you blame Alabama? The then-freshman was shooting 18.9% from 3-point range on low volume that season. With one of the highest-scoring offenses in college basketball, Alabama used that approach to its advantage. By baiting Cadeau into early shots, the Crimson Tide created extra possessions and ultimately pulled off the upset.

For the most part, the plan worked. Cadeau finished 2 of 5 from beyond the arc, and North Carolina fell as the No. 1 seed in the West Region. It was a bitter end to a season that began with high expectations for the Tar Heels.

During his first two seasons at UNC, Elliot Cadeau shot 39 of 142 (27.4%) from 3-point range. Cadeau led UNC in assists as a freshman. Teams didn’t respect Cadeau as a shooter. Opponents routinely left him open from 3-point range, building scouting reports around the idea that it wouldn’t come back to hurt them.

That ultimately led to a split from the Tar Heels — and Cadeau’s reinvention. 

“I feel like I’ve been a shooter my whole life,” Cadeau said outside his locker. 

“Coach believing in me and letting me shoot whenever I wanted played into my confidence.”

The turning point 

For a moment, the title game felt like déjà vu for Cadeau.

With UConn pushing to climb back into the game against Michigan, Cadeau was left open again from beyond the arc in a key moment. This time, he didn’t hesitate. He knocked down a wide-open 3-pointer that snapped through the net.

The moment may have seemed innocuous at the time, but it proved to be the turning point. Cadeau’s 3-pointer with 12:56 remaining was Michigan’s first of the night, pushed the lead into double digits and halted UConn’s momentum.

A year ago, that moment might have gone differently. On Monday night, it marked the culmination of one of the more compelling redemption arcs in college basketball’s transfer portal era.

“We had seen him in prep ranks and in high school and felt like we needed a quarterback, a pass-first guy on the floor at all times,” Michigan coach Dusty May said. “I thought we could win with him because it was there on film. He’s a savant. He’s brilliant. He’s made us better coaches, and hopefully we’ve helped him become a better player.”

In return, Cadeau leaned into that trust. He was given the freedom to shoot, to struggle and ultimately to succeed on the biggest stage.

“Letting me do it in practice, letting me work on it and trusting me to bring it into games,” Cadeau said. “Him trusting me the whole time. I think Dusty is the best coach I’ve ever played for. He’s so smart. He knows a lot about basketball. He had a plan with this really talented roster.”

Cadeau may not have known it when he committed to Michigan just over a year ago, but May did. It’s why the Wolverines are the last team standing — and why Cadeau’s journey will be remembered as one of the defining transfer portal success stories of this era.