How the Kings Can Learn From Michigan and UConn After NCAA Championship

UConn and Michigan faced off for the NCAA title on Monday, and the Wolverines were able to pull out a tight win against the Huskies. The game was filled with prospective first-round picks like Yaxel Lendeborg, Aday Mara, Braylon Mullins, Morez Johnson Jr., and others.

NBA teams will undoubtedly be watching that game film to scout for the upcoming draft, but the Sacramento Kings would be smart to look for one specific thing from each team throughout their run to the final.

Learning From Michigan

When you look at the Michigan starting lineup, I’m sure the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that it’s filled with transfers. While that is obviously newsworthy, the more interesting quality is their size and how that makes them incredibly hard to score against inside. Other than Elliot Cadeau, every starter for Michigan was 6-foot-5 and above, with Lendeborg, Johnson Jr., and Mara measuring 6-foot-9 or taller.

YAXEL LENDEBORG CHASEDOWN BLOCK OFF THE GLASS 😤

Watch the #NationalChampionship on TBS pic.twitter.com/8KDyJtR5h1
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 7, 2026

Having a frontcourt of that size is getting more common in the NBA, but the Kings have been one of the teams that consistently plays smaller. The original Beam Team was a step in the right direction with both Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray in the front court, but since then, Murray has mostly been forced to play up as a four.

Teams can function defensively when they go small, but the combination of non-defensive-minded players and lack of size has made the Kings an easy target defensively for years.

Big block by Morez Johnson for @umichbball 🤩

📺: @BigTenNetwork pic.twitter.com/m8irtssO72
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 12, 2026

The Kings have a center who is almost the size of Mara in Maxime Raynaud, but his lack of rim protection is going to make it all the more important to have another big wing/forward to help Murray as helpside defenders.

According to KenPom, Michigan was the best defensive team in the country this season, and a lot of that comes down to effort, but it all starts with size. The last time Sacramento was out of the bottom ten defensively, they were starting three players over 6-foot-7, and I don’t believe that’s a coincidence.

Learning From Connecticut

Dan Hurley’s Huskies were also known for their defense this season, coming in at seventh in defensive rating according to KenPom. While the last two national champion teams at Connecticut have also been incredibly stout defensively, Hurley’s teams have been known for one main thing: their movement offense. Clips of Hurley and Luke Murray’s sets are all over social media, and some look downright impossible to defend.

Side pick-and-roll flowing into weak-side flare spacing.

Luke Murray at his best: pic.twitter.com/4jSEiVfi61 https://t.co/9XF49fUPs8
— Eli Hershkovich (@EliHershkovich) April 7, 2026

In what has been a massive departure from the Beam Team, the Kings have been an incredibly iso-heavy offense as of late. On top of that, they struggle to generate and convert open threes, which is a recipe for disaster for most teams in the modern NBA. Part of the issue is personnel, but the biggest thing you’ll notice if you watch a Kings game is how stagnant they can be offensively.

Sacramento has been much better toward the end of the season, with the younger players playing heavier minutes, but the difference between UConn’s movement is noticeable.

The Huskies are constantly in motion, and they disguise what they’re trying to do so well that they’re still able to generate shots for the players that the entire defense is focused on. Sacramento has the formula to run offense like this and only has to look back to the Mike Brown-coached team to see a lot of what UConn does, like stagger screens, zoom action, and pindowns to get their shooters open.

Love the hire from BC

Luke Murray is the mastermind behind this incredible offense that UCONN has run throughout his time with Dan Hurley

Expect a major jump in succes with this decision

pic.twitter.com/vjcCM2GLPE
— Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) March 26, 2026

It’s not that Kings don’t move at all, but the main takeaway when watching UConn is that they continue to run action until they get an advantage. DeMar DeRozan was eighth in isolation frequency according to NBA.com tracking stats, and while he was relatively efficient with 1.03 points per possession, relying on a 36-year-old midrange scorer isn’t ideal.

The 2026 Kings are near the top of the league in isolation frequency, and unless they luck into an elite iso-scorer like AJ Dybantsa or Darryn Peterson, taking a page out of Hurley and Murray’s book would help the Kings substantially.

Going Back to College

For years, college coaches have taken things from professional coaches and vice versa, and I’m sure Doug Chrisite and his staff will watch (if they haven’t already) both UConn and Michigan as they prepare for next season.

Finding a franchise player isn’t always controllable for teams, but size and offensive movements are two things the Kings can change right away. It seems like Scott Perry has already been focused on big, switchable defenders, but the jury is still out on Sacramento’s offense.