Final Four showdown with top seeds Michigan and Arizona includes intriguing matchups

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — A March Madness masterpiece might be on tap.

Get your popcorn, kick up your feet and get ready for what shapes up to be an epic showdown in the Final Four nightcap on Saturday night.

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Michigan and Arizona, top-seeded teams in the NCAA Tournament after being at or near the top of the AP Top 25 all season, will face off with a spot in the championship game on Monday night at stake.

The nation’s top two teams in KenPom rankings will be on the same court at the Final Four for just the second time since 2015.

Michigan was favored on Thursday by 1 1/2 points against Arizona and was a slight favorite over the Wildcats to win the national title, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. Connecticut and Illinois will meet in the first game Saturday night in Indianapolis.

The Wolverines and Wildcats, who are a combined 71-5, are not used to playing in closely contested games. Since the tournament’s expansion to 64 teams in 1985, this is the first Final Four matchup with teams that won each of their four previous games by double digits.

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And as the point spread suggests, the game looks like it will be up for grabs.

Michigan averages 87.7 points, barely a point more than Arizona scores per game. The Wildcats allow 68.8 points a game, eight-tenths of a point less than the Wolverines give up a game.

Here’s a look at some of the matchups:

Wolverines, Wildcats feature balanced offenses with star power

Michigan opened the season scoring 69 points in the first half of a 121-78 win over Oakland and didn’t cool off.

The Wolverines are the first team to score 90-plus points in four double-digit wins in the NCAA Tournament. They have scored 381 points entering the Final Four, trailing just Kentucky’s 388 points in 1993 and Oklahoma’s 387 in 1988.

Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg, an Associated Press All-America player, has 20-plus points in three straight games, including a 27-point performance against Tennessee in the regional final.

Five of his teammates are…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/final-four-showdown-top-seeds-173111613.html

Author : LARRY LAGE

Publish date : 2026-04-02 17:31:00

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