Arizona expert previews Michigan Basketball’s matchup in the Final Four

The Michigan Wolverines are set to face off against the Arizona Wildcats in the Final Four in Indianapolis on Saturday. In preparation of the highly-anticipated battle between the No. 1 seeds, we spoke with Brian Pedersen of SB Nation’s Arizona Desert Swarm.

Here is a recap of our conversation, including the keys to victory, X-factors for both teams, score predictions and more.

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What are the biggest keys to victory for Arizona?

“Arizona lives in the paint and at the line on offense, and any team that can minimize one or both of those things has a great chance to win. Only Kansas in early February has managed that. On the defensive end, Arizona will try to run teams off the three-point line and funnel ball handlers toward center Motiejus Krivas, where he is great at altering shots.”

Which team has an advantage in the backcourt, frontcourt and off the bench?

“I think Arizona has the edge in the backcourt because Big 12 Player of the Year Jaden Bradley will be playing his 14th game in the NCAA Tournament, and Brayden Burries has been the Wildcats’ most-consistent scorer. Michigan has the edge offensively in the frontcourt but I think Arizona has the better interior defense, which could end up making this a wash. Pulling Arizona’s bigs out of the paint on defense can change that. Arizona’s two main bench players, Tobe Awaka and Anthony Dell’Orso, were starters last season and have both had huge games. If he stays out of foul trouble, Awaka will be a force on the boards. If it’s sheer numbers off the bench, Michigan would have the edge but Arizona might have more quality from its reserves.”

How do you see the game playing out in terms of pace and which team does that favor?

“Most teams try to slow Arizona down and try to be methodical on offense to prevent transition, but Michigan doesn’t look like they’ll go that route. It may actually be the Wildcats who are more willing to play in the halfcourt since that can allow them to ensure the ball goes…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/arizona-expert-previews-michigan-basketball-120000834.html

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Publish date : 2026-04-02 12:00:00

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