Villanova vs. Michigan: Game Time and TV Schedule for 2018 NCAA Tournament Final

The 68-team field of the 2018 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament has been knocked down to two as Villanova and Michigan meet in the championship on Monday at 9:20 p.m. ET.

The game will take place at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, and TBS will televise the final. Fans can also live-stream the game through March Madness Live.

The two schools will each have team-centric broadcasts, much like the Final Four. The Villanova TeamCast will take place on truTV, while the Michigan TeamCast will appear on TNT.

To get you ready for the game, here's a look at two separate game notes. The first is a commentary on the odd similarities between the 1985 tournament and this year (primarily pertaining to the two 2018 championship teams), and the second is on the importance of a hot start for either school.

1. Party Like It's 1985?

Villanova is a 6.5-point favorite over Michigan, per OddsShark, but in 1985, the roles were reversed.

That year marked the only time the Wildcats and Wolverines met in the NCAA tournament until 2018 even though the two schools combined to make March Madness 64 times before this season.

In 1985, Michigan won the Big Ten and earned a No. 1 seed in the newly formed 64-team version of the tournament. The Wolverines won 25 regular-season games and held off a tough Indiana team to win the conference. 

After nearly losing to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round (the Wolverines won 59-55), Michigan was on the wrong end of the same score, mustering just 55 against the underdog eighth-seeded Villanova Wildcats in the second round.

Eventually, 'Nova would win the national title, taking down superstar center Patrick Ewing and the powerhouse Georgetown Hoyas.

Thirty-three years later, Villanova is the powerhouse facing underdog Michigan, but there are some odd parallels to the 2018 tournament.

The 1985 Michigan team didn't fall to a No. 16 seed, but in 2018, the first No. 1 seed did indeed suffer that fate when UMBC beat Virginia.

The 2018 Big Ten-winning Wolverines won a Final Four matchup with the Cinderella story of Loyola-Chicago, who hadn't made the tournament since that 1985 season. Those Ramblers lost to the aforementioned Georgetown Hoyas in the Sweet 16.

Villanova won the Final Four in 2018 against Kansas, who 33 years ago featured a star freshman named Danny Manning. That 1985 KU team lost to Michigan in the regular season and eventually in the second round to Auburn, but three years later, "Danny and the Miracles" would write their own underdog story, beating Oklahoma in the finals as a No. 6 seed.

This can only end with Michigan upsetting Villanova in the championship, right?

2. Ready To Start?

The Wolverines can't afford to get off to slow starts like they did against Montana in the first round (losing 10-0 in the early going) and Loyola-Chicago in the Final Four (losing 29-22 at halftime). If Michigan goes cold, the scorching-hot Wildcats could take advantage and run up the score.

On the flip side, Michigan's phenomenal defense (third in defensive efficiency, per the Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings) could set the tone. If the Wolverines can shut down the Wildcats' backcourt attack of Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges early on, then that could go a long way toward an upset win.

For Villanova, its phenomenal start on Saturday night was the main reason why it won. Before seven game minutes had even elapsed, the Wildcats were winning 22-4 thanks to six three-pointers and two other field goals. Villanova led by double digits for 36-plus minutes en route to a 95-79 win in which it made 18 three-pointers (13 in the first half).

It's hard seeing the Wildcat offense falter, but the defense can be a little suspect. Notably, the Wildcats allowed a whopping 101 points to Butler during the regular season thanks in part to the Bulldogs making 15 of their 22 three-pointers for a 68.2 percent success rate.

Michigan isn't a lights-out shooting team, and it doesn't like to push the pace (the Wolverines rank 324th out of 351 D-I teams in adjusted tempo, per the Pomeroy College Basketball Ratings), but if junior forward Moe Wagner gets hot like he did in the Final Four when he dropped 24 points and 15 rebounds, then the Wolverines could find themselves with the early advantage.

A great start doesn't always foreshadow a win (the same with bad starts and losses), but it helps.