Michigan’s big statement leads winners, losers from college hoops holiday week

It took Dusty May five seasons before he turned Florida Atlantic into a Final Four team.

At Michigan, it may just take two.

Over three days in Las Vegas, the Wolverines proved they are a national championship contender after a dominant showing in the Player’s Era Festival.

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The showing came after Michigan had struggled in the first few weeks of the season with close wins against Wake Forest and TCU. There were questions about how the Wolverines would fare in the 18-team tournament loaded with ranked teams. Those doubts went away as fast as chips at a blackjack table.

Michigan blew out San Diego State and No. 25 Auburn by a combined 70 points to earn the spot in the championship game against No. 10 Gonzaga. The Bulldogs had also been impressive over two games in Sin City, making the matchup billed as a meeting of a possible Final Four opponents.

Instead, it looked like a No. 1 seed playing against No. 16. Michigan jumped out to a 20-5 lead in the first five minutes and never looked back in a 40-point over the Bulldogs, the biggest loss in the Mark Few tenure.

Michigan guard Trey McKenney gestures after hitting a 3-pointer against Gonzaga during the championship game of the 2025 Players Era Championship basketball tournament at MGM Grand Garden Arena on Nov. 26, 2025 in Las Vegas.

It’s hard to grasp how exceptional Michigan looked with its closest game the 30-point defeat of Auburn.

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Yaxel Lendeborg showed why he was the top transfer in the country with 52 points and 22 rebounds in the three games, and the 6-foot-9-inch forward just one piece of what is a long lineup that features 7-foot-3-inch Aday Mara and 6-foot-9-inch Morez Johnson Jr.

Is it early to declare a national championship favorite? Probably, with Selection Sunday more than three months away. But it’s hard to not laud Michigan after one of the most impressive three-day stretches you can have in November.

The Wolverines have sent a message to the rest of the country, and that’s why they…

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Publish date : 2025-12-01 11:06:00

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