Michigan and Louisville played a national championship that lived up to its billing last week in Atlanta.

And part of the reason why the game was played at such a fan-friendly pace -- Louisville won 82-76 -- was the way it was officiated, Beilein says.

The referees weren't perfect, but for the most part, Beilein felt the officials allowed players freedom of movement -- which, in his opinion, is the way the game should always be played.

"I like the way the NBA is played," Beilein told WWLS 98.1-FM on Monday. "If you put your hand on a guy, it's a foul.

"We actually teach it, and it hurts us sometimes when we're not as physical as other teams."

Beilein is rarely critical of officials during the season, and his teams are often criticized for playing "soft" in the rugged Big Ten, which is known as a league that allows a great deal of contact -- especially near the rim.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino, like Beilein, advocated for rule tinkering at the Final Four -- saying the game has become far too physical. Whether it's too much bumping when a player is trying to make a cut, or too much body contact when another is trying to bring the ball up the floor.

If fans want to watch appealing basketball, things are going to have to change -- at least a little bit.

"You've got to adjust," Beilein added. "The game has changed so much, and I don't think we should mess with it too much.

"But we always should be looking to make it much more like the game last Monday night."

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