Men’s Final Four: Arizona Arrives as the Team to Beat
The Arizona Wildcats are Final Four-bound for the first time since 2001, and they look every bit like the national championship favorite . In Saturday’s Elite Eight matchup against Purdue, the No. 1 seed did what it has done all season: dominate the interior. Arizona scored 60 points in the paint against Arkansas in the Sweet 16 , and they overwhelmed the Boilermakers with size and strength to secure an 80-71 victory .
ESPN analyst Fran Fraschilla called Arizona “as complete a team as there is in college basketball,” pointing to their old-school, bludgeon-you-inside style and veteran leadership . The Wildcats have now won 13 straight games and will face the winner of Michigan vs. Tennessee in the national semifinals .
Other Elite Eight Results:
- Duke survived a gritty St. John’s team, 80-75, setting up a blockbuster Elite Eight clash with UConn—a matchup of programs with 11 combined national titles .
- UConn held off Michigan State, 67-63, to advance behind clutch play from two-time national champion Alex Karaban .
- Michigan and Iowa each advanced, guaranteeing at least one Big Ten team in the Final Four .
👑 Women’s Tournament: All Four No. 1 Seeds Still Standing
For the second consecutive year, all four No. 1 seeds—UConn, UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina—have reached the Elite Eight, setting up a potential repeat of last year’s Final Four .
Elite Eight Schedule:
| Matchup | Date/Time |
|---|---|
| UConn (1) vs. Notre Dame (6) | Sunday, 10 a.m. MST |
| UCLA (1) vs. Duke (3) | Sunday, 12 p.m. |
| Texas (1) vs. Michigan (2) | Monday, 4 p.m. |
| South Carolina (1) vs. TCU (3) | Monday, 6 p.m. |
UConn enters as the defending champion, having won its first three tournament games by an average of 37 points . Notre Dame, led by Hannah Hidalgo’s near quadruple-double (31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals, 7 assists) against Vanderbilt, is the only lower seed remaining .
South Carolina is chasing its sixth consecutive Final Four appearance, while Texas seeks its first national title since 1986 . The Final Four is set for Friday, April 3, in Phoenix, with the national championship on April 5 .
