The Final Four is now set. UConn stunned Duke to join Illinois, Arizona, and Michigan. The tournament's biggest party kicks off in Indianapolis on Saturday.
The Teams Headed to Indianapolis
Arizona and Michigan bring a lot of talent. UConn has strong momentum. Illinois, however, will play the role of the underdog. This is despite being a Big Ten team with many conference wins in recent years.
The first challenge for Illinois will be stopping UConn. The Huskies made their third Final Four in four years. They came back from 19 points down against Duke. Braylon Mullins, an Indianapolis native, hit the game-winning shot with 0.4 seconds left. UConn has won the championship the last two times they reached this stage. Coach Dan Hurley believes his team is meant to win this time of year.
We're a new kind of news feed.
Regular news is designed to drain you. We're a non-profit built to restore you. Every story we publish is scored for impact, progress, and hope.
Start Your News DetoxArizona, led by Brayden Burries, and Michigan, with Yaxel Lendeborg, have up to nine NBA prospects combined. Arizona is a slight favorite to win the championship. Michigan is close behind after a big win over Tennessee. However, Arizona is a 1 1/2-point underdog to Michigan in their semifinal game. Illinois is a 2 1/2-point favorite over UConn. UConn is considered the biggest long shot at plus-550.
Illinois is a No. 3 seed, the highest number at the Final Four in two years. UConn is a No. 2 seed. Last season, all four No. 1 seeds made it. The fact that Illinois feels like an underdog shows how much college basketball has changed.
The Impact of New Rules
The matchup between Michigan and Arizona is a heavyweight battle. It's a big change from three years ago when mid-major teams like Florida Atlantic and San Diego State made it to the Final Four.
Since then, NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals and the transfer portal have changed how players move between schools. Conferences have also grown bigger. For example, Arizona moved from the Pac-12 to the Big 12. These changes have made it harder for underdog teams to succeed.
Double-digit seeds won only five games in this tournament, not counting the play-in round. Two years ago, they won 11 games and sent one team to the Final Four.
Illinois coach Brad Underwood sees his team's trip to the Final Four as destiny. He doesn't sound arrogant, but he always believed his team could get there. This is Illinois' first trip since 2005.
Semifinal Matchups
Illinois vs. UConn
Illinois is led by its "Balkan Bloc" players and guard Keaton Wagler, a potential NBA lottery pick. Andrej Stojakovic, whose father Peja was an NBA All-Star, is also on the team. Illinois will need to figure out how to defend UConn, which has five players averaging double figures, led by Tarris Reed Jr.
Michigan vs. Arizona
The Wildcats and Wolverines game shows different ways teams build talent today. Four of Arizona's five starters began their careers in Tucson. Their fifth starter, Jaden Bradley, transferred from Alabama and has been with the Wildcats for three years.
Michigan's top four players in minutes played — Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., Aday Mara, and Elliot Cadeau — all came from the transfer portal. Both coaches, Tommy Lloyd of Arizona and Dusty May of Michigan, rose from mid-major programs to reach this stage. Lloyd was a long-time assistant at Gonzaga before joining Arizona. May led Florida Atlantic to the Final Four before taking over Michigan.
