UCLA stuns Michigan, completes journey from First Four to Final Four

Yahoo Sports College reporter Pete Thamel takes you through UCLA’s improbable win over top-seeded Michigan, and explains how the Bruins have gone from the First Four to the Final Four.

Video transcript

[CROWD CHEERING]

PETE THAMEL: In UCLA's storied history, they've won 11 national championships and made 18 Final Fours. They've won more titles than any program in the history of college basketball. So it's been a little bit hard to embrace UCLA as plucky underdogs. But here we are at the final piece of the Final Four coming into place, and it's number 11 seed UCLA delivering the school's 19th Final Four appearance and certainly the most improbable.

UCLA becomes just the second program to go from first four to the Final Four. It becomes just the fifth number 11 seed in NCAA tournament history to reach the Final Four. The Bruins have clearly embraced being an underdog. It certainly wasn't easy. This game was from the Mick Cronin Cincinnati [INAUDIBLE] collection.

Michigan missed its final 8 shots from the field, including 2 clean looks at 3-pointers in the final 5 seconds. But UCLA held on in what will be remembered as the Johnny Juzang game. He scored 28 points on 19 shots and carried the Bruins on a night where they were anemic offensively. With Cronin, it's always been about the defense. And his second year at UCLA, they certainly adapted his methods.

Michigan shot just 39% from the field, 27% from 3-point range. Franz Wagner finished 1 of 10, including 0-4 from 3-point range. The only offensive player who is any kind of threat from Michigan was Hunter Dickinson. He was 5 of 10 for the deal. But when it mattered most, Dickinson was in the least effective position on the floor.

He was inbounding the basketball with 0.5 seconds left when Michigan still had a chance to tie or take the lead. That will be second best in [INAUDIBLE] boxes in Ann Arbor for a very long time. But for now, it's UCLA in the Final Four. The old school West Coast power will face the new school one. UCLA Gonzaga will go up against the winner of Houston and Baylor. The Final Four is set here at Lucas Oil Stadium. I'm Pete Thamel for Yahoo Sports.