Elliot Cadeau was the Most Outstanding Player during the Final Four for Michigan basketball, as it won its first national championship since 1989.
Truth be told, Cadeau was always the most important player on the team. Yaxel Lendeborg was the most best; Cadeau was the most vital to the team's success.
The former North Carolina point guard proved that during the NCAA Tournament. He became just the third player to score over 70 points with at least 45 assists since they started keeping track of assists. Only Rumeal Robinson and Bobby Hurley have done it, although Magic Johnson did it one year before assists were an official stat.
That's why the news that Cadeau has re-signed with Michigan basketball for the 2026-27 season is huge. It's massive. Use whatever adjective you want.
Some might think that Morez Johnson is more important, but I would argue it might be easier to find another talented big, like J.P Estrella, who Michigan landed from Tennessee on Thursday, as opposed to finding another guard like Cadeau.
Getting Elliot Cadeau back is huge for Michigan's national title hopes
Cadeau made 65 3-pointers this season. He shot 37 percent from beyond the arc, and was 8-of-9 from the free-throw line in the national championship game, which was the only game in the NCAA Tournament that he didn't have at least seven assists.
Getting back him back for another season is huge. Guard play is paramount in March, and Michigan wouldn't have won the national championship without Cadeau coming of age.
The addition that was once criticized looks genius. That's what Dusty May does, and it's also why one year later, the return of Cadeau is being celebrated by Michigan fans with thunderous applause.