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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
NBA teams will undoubtedly be watching that game film to scout for the upcoming draft<\/a>, but the Sacramento Kings would be smart to look for one specific thing from each team throughout their run to the final.<\/p>\n Learning From Michigan<\/p>\n When you look at the Michigan starting lineup, I\u2019m sure the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n YAXEL LENDEBORG CHASEDOWN BLOCK OFF THE GLASS \ud83d\ude24<\/p>\n Watch the #NationalChampionship<\/a> on TBS pic.twitter.com\/8KDyJtR5h1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n Big block by Morez Johnson for @umichbball<\/a> \ud83e\udd29<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcfa: @BigTenNetwork<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/m8irtssO72<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Big Ten Men’s Basketball (@B1GMBBall) February 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to KenPom<\/a>, 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\u2019t believe that\u2019s a coincidence.<\/p>\n Learning From Connecticut<\/p>\n Dan Hurley\u2019s 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\u2019s teams have been known for one main thing: their movement offense. Clips of Hurley and Luke Murray\u2019s sets are all over social media, and some look downright impossible to defend.<\/p>\n Side pick-and-roll flowing into weak-side flare spacing.<\/p>\n Luke Murray at his best: pic.twitter.com\/4jSEiVfi61<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/9XF49fUPs8<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Eli Hershkovich (@EliHershkovich) April 7, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n 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\u2019ll notice if you watch a Kings game is how stagnant they can be offensively.\u00a0<\/p>\n Sacramento has been much better toward the end of the season, with the younger players playing heavier minutes, but the difference between UConn\u2019s movement is noticeable.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Huskies are constantly in motion, and they disguise what they\u2019re trying to do so well that they\u2019re 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n Love the hire from BC <\/p>\n Luke Murray is the mastermind behind this incredible offense that UCONN has run throughout his time with Dan Hurley <\/p>\n Expect a major jump in succes with this decision <\/p>\n pic.twitter.com\/vjcCM2GLPE<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Hoop Herald (@TheHoopHerald) March 26, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s not that Kings don\u2019t 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<\/a> isn\u2019t ideal.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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\u2019s book would help the Kings substantially.\u00a0<\/p>\n Going Back to College<\/p>\n For years, college coaches have taken things from professional coaches and vice versa, and I\u2019m sure Doug Chrisite and his staff will watch (if they haven\u2019t already) both UConn and Michigan as they prepare for next season.\u00a0<\/p>\n Finding a franchise player isn\u2019t 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\u2019s offense.<\/p>\n