INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — The No. 22-ranked and third-seeded University of Michigan men’s basketball team overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to claim the 2025 Big Ten Tournament title, defeating 18th-ranked and fifth seed Wisconsin, 59-53, on Sunday (March 16) inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It marks the fourth conference tournament championship for the Wolverines (1998, 2017, 2018) in six title-game appearances.
Leaders and Best
Michigan was led by tournament Most Outstanding Player Vladislav Goldin, who recorded 11 points and five rebounds. Tre Donaldson added 11 points, eight assists, and three rebounds, while Danny Wolf chipped in eight points and eight rebounds. Nimari Burnett finished with eight points and five rebounds, and L.J. Cason also contributed eight points and five boards.
Turning Point
With the game tied at 53 points each with 46 seconds remaining, Goldin was fouled while shooting and hit two free throws to give Michigan a 55-53 lead. U-M stopped Wisconsin twice on the next possession, grabbing the rebound to secure the Big Ten Tournament championship with a 59-53 win.
First Half
Michigan jumped out to a 7-3 lead two and a half minutes into the game before the Wolverines went over five minutes without a point. Goldin’s hook shot ended U-M’s skid with 12:33 to go as Wisconsin attempted a flurry of three-point baskets early, starting the game off 3-for-13 from behind the arc in the first nine minutes.
The Badgers scored their first two-point basket of the game with 8:31 in the half, taking a 15-14 lead. Back-and-forth play continued for the rest of the half as Wisconsin took a 23-21 advantage into the break. Both teams struggled from the field, as Michigan shot 28 percent from the field and went 3-for-17 from three-point range, while Wisconsin shot 22 percent and went 4-for-24 from three.
Second Half
Michigan went without a point for the first three and a half minutes of the half, allowing Wisconsin to take a 29-21 lead. Cason hit two three-pointers while the U-M offense stalled to cut the Badgers’ lead to 32-27 with 15:39 remaining.
After the Badgers went on a 6-0 spurt to take an 11-point lead, U-M responded with a 7-0 run initiated by a three-pointer from Will Tschetter — U-M’s sixth three-point basket of the game — as it trailed 38-34 with 11:02 to go.
Wisconsin jumped out to a seven-point lead, but another three-point basket from Tschetter and two consecutive baskets from Wolf tied the game at 45 points apiece with 5:42 remaining as Wisconsin went 1-for-12 on its last field goal attempts.
Trailing by three points with under four minutes remaining, Donaldson scored five straight points to give Michigan a 53-51 lead with 1:54 to go. Michigan forced a miss on Wisconsin’s final nine field goal attempts as it closed out the win, with the Badgers’ only points in the final 3:55 coming on a pair of free throws.
What’s Next
U-M earned the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament South Region and will play No. 12 seed UC San Diego in the first round in Denver, Colo., on Thursday, March 20. The game time has not been announced. It will be Michigan’s 32nd trip to the Big Dance and first since 2022. The winner of the U-M vs. UC San Diego game will advance to play the winner of fourth-seeded Texas A&M vs. 13th-seeded Yale. Auburn is the top seed in the region, while Michigan State is the second seed. [ Read Release ]
Notes
• Michigan played in its sixth Big Ten Tournament championship, winning its fourth championship. • U-M reached the title game after earning a double-bye for the third time, an 86-68 quarterfinal win over No. 6 seed Purdue and a thrilling last-second 81-80 win over No. 2 seed Maryland. • U-M is now 32-23 at the conference tournament. • Michigan had two representatives on the All-Tournament Team in Goldin, the Most Outstanding Player, and Wolf. • The Wolverines are one of six teams to win multiple titles. U-M is tied with Illinois (2003, ’05, ’21, ’24) for the third-most titles (1998, 2017, ’18, ’25). Michigan State is the all-time leader with six, while Ohio State has five. • Michigan is the third No. 3-seed to win the championship: 2009 (Purdue) and 2014 (Michigan State).
• U-M has won 11 straight games decided by four points or fewer.
