No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 1 Arizona Final Four Preview

If the showdown with Duke in D.C. was one of the biggest regular-season matchups this century, Saturday’s battle has the same argument for the postseason. Kenpom ranks the Michigan Wolverines and the Arizona Wildcats as two of the best teams ever, and it is only fitting they will meet with everything on the line. Nearly every metric has this game as a toss-up, and there are minimal clear advantages either way.

Arizona has lost just two games all season, back-to-back defeats in early February. That was 13 games ago, and since that time, the Wildcats have moved up to the No. 4 offense and No. 2 defense per Kenpom, ranked second overall. Michigan is a slot below on offense, a slot ahead on defense, and mere points ahead in the overall team rankings to enter the weekend No. 1. One team is going to go home immensely disappointed, as both of these squads have the quality to be national champions in any given season.

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Final Four: No. 1 Michigan (35-3) vs. No. 1 Arizona (36-2)

Date & Time: Saturday, April 4, 8:49-ish p.m. ET
Location: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
TV/Streaming: TBS

These two programs have met a handful of times over the years, including three games since 2013. The Wildcats took both legs of a home-and-home, with No. 1 Arizona winning in Ann Arbor during the 2013-14 campaign, then winning big in Tucson when ranked No. 3 the next season. Most recently, the No. 4 Wolverines were upset in the 2021 Roman Main Event final in Vegas.

Four Stats to Watch

Arizona 2PT Defense: 44.1% (2nd)

In many ways, these squads mirror each other perfectly (at least in terms of numbers), and that starts with interior defense. Both teams have been excellent defending inside the arc, which is also where both teams have feasted offensively. The Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight were not the most consistent outings for Aday Mara and Morez Johnson, but they must be excellent on both ends for Michigan to survive this one, and it is hard to see how that happens without them rediscovering…

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

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