Micah’s bold predictions for Big Ten teams in 2026 NCAA Final Four

The Big Ten will now face the spotlight of the Final Four, but the league’s two teams have good championship odds. Both Michigan and Illinois have no worse than break-even odds of winning on Saturday in the national semifinals. The Big Ten can prove how dominant it is by having the title game be a Michigan-Illinois clash. Both teams should feel confident.

Here are my bold predictions for the two Final Four matchups featuring Big Ten teams:

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Illinois will have it going beyond the arc

Their last game was an anomaly as they shot 17.6% from 3 vs Iowa. However they still were able to win that game off of being dominant in other categories, but for them to knock off UConn, I think they will need to get back to their bread and butter. I expect the Fighting Illini to shoot over 40% from 3 in this game, and that will be a big factor for them pulling out the victory.

Illinois’ bench will outperform UConn’s

Andrej Stojakovic has been huge off the bench for Illinois, and when he is effective, Illinois’s chances to win are much greater. He had 17 vs Iowa and 21 vs VCU off the bench. I expect him to lead the Fighting Illini with a 20-point game off the bench and to knock down a couple of triples. The bench for the Huskies is not their strongest point, as they are very reliant on getting great showings from their starters, including big man Tarris Reed Jr. and Alex Karaban. The Fighting Illini will have an edge in bench scoring in this match; they will need to take advantage of that. Zvonimir Ivisic will have to show up as well for Illinois.

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Keaton Wagler will have 25+ points

It is Final 4 time, more than ever, your stars have to show up. Last game, Keaton Wagler was special with his team-high 25 points. He was the best guy on the court, and in this game, he will have to do that again. At the bare minimum, he will need to post 25 points, and he is more than capable of that. He is growing as a playmaker, so tapping more into that, along with a big scoring day, will take…

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Publish date : 2026-04-03 16:01:00

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