Final Four Showdown: Which Underdog Will Defy Expectations and Claim Glory?
Coaches – Michigan: Dusty May (second season); Arizona: Tommy Lloyd (fifth season)

3 Key Players – Michigan: Yaxel Lendeborg, 6-9 forward (15.2 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.3 bpg); Morez Johnson Jr., 6-9 forward (13.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 62.5 FG%); Elliot Cadeau, 6-1 guard (10.2 ppg, 5.8 apg, 37.7 3-point%). Arizona: Brayden Burries, 6-4 guard (16.1 ppg, 1.5 spg, 40.2 3-point%); Jaden Bradley, 6-3 guard (13.3 ppg, 4.4 apg, 39.4 3-point%); Motiejus Krivas, 7-2 center (10.4 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 1.9 bpg).
What to Know – Michigan, the Big Ten regular-season champ, and Arizona, which swept the Big 12 regular-season and tournament titles, enter the Final Four ranked first and second, respectively, in overall TRACR as well as defensive TRACR. The defensive side of the advanced stats leaderboards are full of Michigan and Arizona players. Michigan’s Lendeborg and Aday Mara are the top two in defensive VAPR, while Johnson ranks sixth; Lendeborg and May both rank in the top seven in defensive DRIP as well. Arizona has four players ranked in the top 25 in defensive VAPR, led by Krivas, who’s third there plus sixth in defensive DRIP. Lendeborg is currently tied with Cameron Boozer for first in all of college basketball in WAR. Neither team has won by fewer than 12 points throughout the NCAA Tournament. Arizona has made the Final Four for the first time since 2001 (the Wildcats lost to Duke in the championship game) and then lost in the Elite Eight five straight times before this year’s win over Purdue. Michigan is returning to the Final Four for the first time since 2018, when they lost to Villanova in the title game.



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