Myron Medcalf
Multiple Authors
The four teams left standing have been all seen as fringe nationwide title contenders earlier than the season — however provided that all the things got here collectively. There have been no ensures — solely UConn was ranked in the prime four of the AP preseason ballot. Michigan (seventh), Arizona (thirteenth) and Illinois (seventeenth) have been all outdoors the top-five.
Yet, they’re all on their solution to Indianapolis as a result of all of them proved they have been the finest in a specific class connected to their run.
If this have been an awards present, Arizona would win the honor of “Most Balanced Team.” The Wildcats are top-10 in offensive and defensive effectivity. In Saturday’s Elite Eight win over Purdue, eight Wildcats scored.
Michigan would win the award for “Best Defense.” Led by a frontcourt that includes three 6-foot-9 standouts and a 7-3 heart, the Wolverines are presently ranked first in adjusted defensive effectivity. In Sunday’s Elite Eight win over Tennessee, they outscored the Vols by 23 factors in the final 10 minutes of the first half.
Illinois would take the “Best Offensive Engine” award. The Illini have been No. 1 in adjusted offensive effectivity for the bulk of the season. They’ve made 59% of their pictures inside the arc since March 1.
Connecticut would earn the “Best Coach” honor. At one level in the first half of the Elite Eight win over Duke on Sunday, Dan Hurley’s Huskies had missed 13 of 15 pictures. Yet, they clawed again in the second, giving Hurley an opportunity to make historical past as the first coach since John Wooden to win three nationwide titles in four years.
The backside line is, each group in the final weekend of the season needed to struggle to get right here. There isn’t any debate about that. They’re all deserving of this shot at historical past.
All occasions Eastern
1. Michigan Wolverines
Original seed: No. 1 (Midwest)
Tournament outcomes: Def. No. 16 Howard 101-80 (first round); def. No. 9 Saint Louis 95-72 (round of 32); def. No. 4 Alabama 90-77 (Sweet 16); def. No. 6 Tennessee 95-62 (Elite Eight)
The Wolverines imagine they are often the finest group in Michigan historical past — however they’re going to must win Saturday towards Arizona to even have an argument, as a result of they’ve some critical competitors:
At the prime of the listing is the 1998-89 group that gained the faculty’s solely nationwide championship. That group was led by future NBA all-star Glen Rice.
Then there’s the 1964-65 group, which misplaced in the nationwide title recreation — that had Cazzie Russell, extensively seen as the best participant in class historical past.
The 1975-76 squad had All-American Rickey Green and three different future NBA gamers when it misplaced in the nationwide title recreation.
And, in fact, there are the Fab Five teams that reached the nationwide championship video games in each 1992 and 1993. Those two teams had three future NBA standouts — Chris Webber, Juwan Howard and Jalen Rose — main the means.
Trey Burke was the nationwide participant of the 12 months when he led Michigan to the nationwide title recreation in 2013.
But this 2026 group has Yaxel Lendeborg, who completed with 27 factors and 7 rebounds in Sunday’s Elite Eight win over Tennessee and is one in every of three NBA prospects on the roster. These Wolverines have the expertise to win all of it.
Dusty May could have additionally made the case for placing collectively the best teaching effort in class historical past. Those different iconic Michigan teams had the luxurious of time to construct these rosters. May did not even know, final March, who could be taking part in for him this season — four of his starters have been at different colleges at the time. But, in lower than a 12 months, he is right here, making a run to the Final Four. So, yeah, this group is making a case to be one in every of the best Michigan teams. But May — who’s additionally in the Final Four for the second time in three years — might, someday, even be thought of one in every of its best coaches.
Up subsequent: vs. Arizona (Saturday, following Illinois-UConn, TBS/truTV/HBO Max)
2. Arizona Wildcats
Original seed: No. 1 (West)
Tournament outcomes: Def. No. 16 Long Island 92-58 (first round); def. No. 9 Utah State 78-66 (round of 32); def. No. 4 Arkansas 109-88 (Sweet 16); def. No. 2 Purdue 79-64 (Elite Eight)
It is perhaps finest to debate Arizona’s dominance below Tommy Lloyd not by way of the place he’s now or the place he would possibly go — this run will not do something to quiet the North Carolina teaching rumors. No, it is perhaps higher to take a look at what he left behind at Gonzaga when he took this publish.
Lloyd was Mark Few’s prime assistant when the Zags went to the Final Four in 2021. They had not solely turned Gonzaga right into a revered powerhouse, that they had additionally made the Bulldogs the West Coast’s preeminent program. Lloyd has now snatched that latter title from the palms of his former mentor, with these Wildcats.
Over the previous 5 years, Few has gained 143 video games. In that very same span, Arizona has gained 148 — and counting — below Lloyd.
How has he finished it? It hasn’t been with 3-point taking pictures: Only 26.4% of the group’s subject aim makes an attempt this season have been from deep — 363rd out of 365 teams. Lloyd is old style. He’s assembled a group that is stuffed with expertise, together with projected first-round draft picks Motiejus Krivas, Brayden Burries and Koa Peat. He has the Big 12 participant of the 12 months, Jaden Bradley. He additionally has a supporting forged no different group remaining on this match can match.
Lloyd’s philosophy is easy. The Wildcats play nice protection — they entered Sunday ranked first in adjusted defensive effectivity — and so they dare opponents to outhustle them. And he believes his prime eight guys are higher than the prime eight guys of any opponent, irrespective of the fashion they play. That’s how he believes his group can win. And to date, he has been proper.
Up subsequent: vs. Michigan (Saturday, (Saturday, following Illinois-UConn, TBS/truTV/HBO Max)
3. UConn Huskies
Original seed: No. 2 (East)
Tournament outcomes: Def. No. 15 Furman 82-71 (first round); def. No. 7 UCLA 73-57 (round of 32); def. No. 3 Michigan State 67-63 (Sweet 16); def. No. 1 Duke 73-72 (Elite Eight)
Dan Hurley could construct a statue of Alex Karaban — who hit a 3-pointer that reduce UConn’s result in one then made the help to Braylon Mullins on the game-winning 3 in Sunday’s Elite Eight win over Duke — himself if the faculty does not find yourself doing it. Karaban guarded Cameron Boozer all through Sunday’s recreation, whereas Tarris Reed Jr. dominated in the paint as a Huskies squad that was down as a lot as 19 factors got here again in the final seconds to win.
It’s no secret Hurley does not have a roster that may match the expertise of the different teams in the subject. Michigan has three projected first-round picks and so they’re all giants. Arizona has extra depth than anybody — and in addition three projected first-round picks. Illinois’ smallest starter is 6-2 Kylan Boswell, whlie 6-5 guard Keaton Wagler is perhaps the finest remaining participant in the subject.
Although Hurley turned to the switch portal the previous two years to construct his rosters, he has a continuity that is uncommon at this stage. Three Huskies starters have performed no less than two years in Hurley’s system. Illinois is the solely different group in the Final Four that may make the similar declare. The distinction is, no group in Indianapolis has Karaban, or the expertise of profitable at the highest degree — bear in mind, he is a holdover from the UConn squads that gained back-to-back nationwide titles in 2023 and 2024. No different group in the subject has a participant who is aware of what it takes to win a nationwide title. Against Duke on Sunday, the Huskies could not have been the extra proficient group, however their expertise gave them an edge towards a squad stuffed with freshmen that appeared to crumble when it squandered an enormous lead.
Karaban, who’d averaged 22 factors in three NCAA match video games, wasn’t nice. But he did not must be. His contribution was the calm that comes from taking part in in a bunch of video games precisely like this one. In Indianapolis, he’ll be in a league of his personal.
Up subsequent: vs. Illinois (Saturday, 6:09 p.m., TBS/truTV/HBO Max)
4. Illinois Fighting Illini
Original seed: No. 3 (South)
Tournament outcomes: Def. No. 14 Penn 105-70 (first round); def. No. 11 VCU 76-55 (round of 32); def. No. 2 Houston 65-55 (Sweet 16); def. No. 9 Iowa 71-59 (Elite Eight)
Brad Underwood’s roster options gamers from 5 completely different international locations: Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece and the United States. The worldwide taste has been all the buzz this season — together with Underwood’s discovery of freshman Keaton Wagler, who did not get a scholarship supply from his residence state faculty Kansas however is now pushing for a top-10 spot in the 2026 NBA draft after a shocking season. Tomislav Ivisic is a 7-foot-1 pressure in the paint. Andrej Stojakovic is a two-way risk who helped corral Iowa star Bennett Stirtz in Saturday’s Elite Eight win. David Mirkovic is a 6-9 ahead who shot 40% from 3 in league play.
You’d suppose Underwood’s success with worldwide gamers would encourage the notion that any coach can go over to Europe and recruit elite expertise. Right?
Wrong. There is not a health club in Europe stuffed with elite gamers faculty coaches can simply stroll into and recruit out of. Mining the worldwide panorama for expertise is laborious. And it is solely half the battle. Because Underwood’s actual power is not his knack for figuring out worldwide stars. Rather, it is his skill to know precisely the place these gamers match into his system. He’s constructed a gaggle that is possessed the finest offense in America for many of this season and has additionally performed top-25 protection for the previous month. Their wins over Houston and Iowa in the second weekend of the NCAA match have been a byproduct of the measurement they’ve used to guard the rim, in addition to the strain they’ve utilized to opposing backcourts.
Illinois is a selfless group stuffed with gamers who fulfill their roles, and have been put in the proper place by Underwood. He is aware of himself, and he is aware of his system. Above all, he is aware of what gamers he wants for it to all work.
Up subsequent: vs. UConn (Saturday, 6:09 p.m., TBS/truTV/HBO Max)
