If someone told me before Michigan's 18-point shellacking against Arizona that Yaxel Lendeborg was only going to play 15 minutes, the proposition of a double-digit win would have seemed impossible.
Yet, even with the best player in college basketball on one leg, missing more than half the game, Michigan just did what it does: Bullies people. Aday Mara was the biggest bully on the block, scoring 26 points and dominating the rim on both ends of the court.
Michigan made 12 3-pointers, shooting 44 percent, while making 50 percent of its twos against the second-best defensive team in the country.
Michigan basketball reminded everyone why it's ranked No. 1 in adjusted defense according to Kenpom. The Wolverines suffocated Arizona, grabbing a 10-1 lead, and a 26-10 advantage on its way to an 18-point halftime lead, which was the same as the final 91-73 margin.
It was a reckoning and here are four observations that will matter moving forward.
Aday Mara is the best center in college basketball
When Yaxel went down, it would have been easy for Michigan to panic. It didn't. Why? It has Aday Mara and also Morez Johnson.
Johnson was stellar. Mara was the best player on the court by a mile. The only person close was Elliot Cadeau. The 7-foot-2 center who languished on the bench for UCLA last season made 11 of 16 shot attempts, grabbed nine rebounds, had four blocks, and dished out three assists. He altered more shots than the box score shows, as Arizona, one of the best interior scoring teams in college basketball, made just 37 percent of its twos.
Mara is the best center in college basketball. He looked like a lottery pick on Saturday, and winning his matchup with Tarris Reed will be vital for Michigan's title hopes.
Elliot Cadeau is an elite point guard
If Hubert Davis was coaching Cadeau, not Dusty May, last night could have been a disaster.
Cadeau has transformed himself as a Michigan basketball player, and confidence is a big reason why. The staff wants him to shoot. Even after he started 2-for-14.
All Cadeau did was make his final three shots in the second half, including two 3-pointers. He also dominated the game with his 10 assists and his underrated ball pressure. He was everywhere.
However, Arizona had to defend Cadeau the way it did, despite his poor shooting, because Dusty May instilled the confidence to keep shooting. Cadeau shot 37 percent from three this season. He made three on Saturday night, so you can't leave him alone as teams used to do against UNC, and a big reason is that Davis isn't as smart as Dusty May (obviously).
This is one example of why, and frankly, Michigan wouldn't be playing on Monday night with Cadeau, who is one of the best point guards in college basketball.
Yaxel Lendeborg invokes memories of Willis Reed
When Lendeborg came out for the second half, barely able to walk, it was hard to see how he was going to make it on the court. That's still a question for Monday night.
Earlier in the season, when Yaxel's hand was hurt, May said he was the best player on the team with one hand. Maybe that's true of one leg. All he did was grab a rebound, play solid defense, protect the ball, as he did in the second stint in the second half, and hit two 3-pointers.
Yaxel buried two triples in the first few minutes of the second half, even as he could barely move. It reminded me of Willis Reed scoring twice against the Lakers in Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals.
There might be more Willis Reed-type moments on Monday, but for Yaxel to go 3-for-3 in 15 minutes, coming back in even when his family didn't want him to, shows how much this means to him. How much his teammates mean to him, and they had his back.
You can bet they will on Monday, too.
Trey McKenney is Michigan's fourth first-round pick
Before March Madness, we wrote that Trey McKenney would be the Wolverines' secret weapon. He's not a secret anymore, at least he shouldn't be.
McKenney is scoring 12.6 points per game in the NCAA Tournament. He has reached double figures in four of five games, and is shooting 52.3 percent from 3-point range, as well as 63 percent overall.
Against Arizona, McKenney may have had his best game yet. With Yaxel out, someone needed to step up. Few on the roster have the gifts that McKenney does, and they were on full display in the Final Four as the true freshman scored 16 points, made 6 of 9 shots, had three boards, an assist, and a massive block.
It was enough to get NBA scouts buzzing. He will be a first-round pick someday. Hell, if McKenney has another game like that on Monday night, it could happen in the 2026 NBA draft, which would be an easy price to pay for the Wolverines' first national championship in 37 years.