March 29, 2026 / 9:58 PM EDT / AP
All that talent at Arizona and Michigan. All that momentum and good vibes at UConn. And somebody has to play the part of the unheralded “little guy.” At the Final Four next weekend in Indianapolis, that role belongs, improbably, to Illinois.
The Illini — a Big Ten team with more conference wins over the last seven seasons than any other program — will pass for something resembling Cinderella. Their first challenge will be stopping a hard-charging UConn juggernaut.
After trailing by as many as 19 on Sunday, UConn got a stunning finish. With the clock winding down against top-seeded Duke, Braylon Mullins retrieved a loose ball near midcourt and, after a frantic scramble, launched a 35-foot desperation 3-pointer that swished with 0.4 seconds left to give the Huskies a 73-72 victory and a Final Four berth.
Huskies coach Dan Hurley said he declined a timeout late because “it just felt like the window where you’ve just got to let March Madness take over. March magic.” The decision paid off. Silas Demary Jr. had made one of two free throws with 10 seconds left to cut Duke’s lead to three. With Duke trying to use the clock and prevent fouling, Cayden Boozer’s pass near midcourt was deflected by Demary. UConn recovered, and Mullins hit the long 3.
“The last two times the Huskies reached this point, they won the championship,” Hurley noted. “It’s a UConn culture, a UConn heart. We believe we’re supposed to win this time of year.”
All four remaining teams believe the same. Arizona, led by Brayden Burries, and Michigan, with Yaxel Lendeborg, have as many as nine NBA prospects between them. The Wildcats opened as slight favorites — at plus-165 to win the championship, according to BetMGM Sportsbook — just ahead of the Wolverines at plus-180 after Michigan’s 95-62 rout of Tennessee on Sunday. Yet in Saturday night’s semifinal pairing the Wildcats are 1½-point underdogs to Michigan. Illinois is a 2½-point favorite over UConn, and UConn, at plus-550, is the biggest long shot in Indy.
That Illinois feels like this year’s out-of-nowhere team says more about modern college hoops than the Illini themselves. They are a No. 3 seed — the highest seed at the Final Four in two years (UConn is a 2). The landscape has shifted since mid-major runs such as Florida Atlantic and San Diego State three years ago. The transfer portal, NIL deals and conference realignment have reshaped roster construction; Arizona, now in the Big 12, was in the Pac-12 in 2023.
Double-digit seeds won just five games in this tournament (excluding play-in games), compared with 11 two years ago, when N.C. State reached the Final Four. Illinois coach Brad Underwood, who made his name at Stephen F. Austin a decade ago, views this trip as destiny rather than a one-off miracle. It is Illinois’ first Final Four since 2005, when the Illini lost to North Carolina in the title game.
“I don’t want to sound arrogant,” Underwood said. “I’ve never doubted us getting to a Final Four would happen. I have thought we have had other teams capable. But I also know how doggone hard it is to do it.”
The Big Ten could secure its first title since Michigan State in 2000. Illinois is led by the so-called “Balkan Bloc” and has potential lottery pick guard Keaton Wagler. Andrej Stojakovic, widely recognized because his father Peja was a three-time NBA All-Star, is another notable name; Illinois is his third school in three years after Stanford and Cal. The Illini present a multi-headed scoring threat, with five players averaging double figures, led by Tarris Reed Jr.
The Arizona-Michigan semifinal is a heavyweight matchup illustrating different ways to assemble talent today. Four of Arizona’s five starters began their careers in Tucson; the fifth, Big 12 player of the year Jaden Bradley, transferred in from Alabama and has three years with the Wildcats. Michigan’s leading minute-earners — Lendeborg, Morez Johnson Jr., Aday Mara and Elliot Cadeau — all arrived via the transfer portal.
Both Tommy Lloyd and Michigan coach Dusty May parlayed mid-major roots into success on the big stage. Lloyd spent years as a top assistant at Gonzaga before rebuilding Arizona after Sean Miller’s departure in 2021. May led FAU to a Final Four before moving to Michigan, a program that saw highs and lows under former player Juwan Howard.
With the Final Four set — UConn facing Illinois and Michigan meeting Arizona — the tournament’s signature mix of high stakes, star power and late-game drama will be on full display in Indianapolis.