The first team to win two games will be crowned as the champions of the 2025/26 men's college basketball season as the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament loom.
Michigan, Arizona, UConn, and Illinois are the last four powerhouses remaining.
Michigan and Arizona have perhaps been the two most dominating teams in this year's tournament with neither team suffering a serious scare in their first four games of the tourney. The two will face their first gigantic test when they play against each other on Saturday.
Michigan last made the semifinal of the NCAA Tournament in 2018 when they ended up losing to Villanova in the championship game. "U of M" has made the championship game five times since 1989, but they're just 1-4 in those games.
Led by forward Yaxel Landeborg, Michigan has tons of size and shooting that make them incredibly efficient on both offense and defense.
Arizona, on the other hand, finally qualified for their first semifinal since 2001. A terrific program under head coach Tommy Lloyd, they broke through this year and are one of the top favorites to win it all.
On the other side of the bracket, two-seeded UConn and three-seeded Illinois will battle.
Braylon Mullins hit one of the most iconic shots in NCAA Tournament history in the quarterfinal round vs. Duke - a near half-court shot with less than a second remaining to erase what was once a 17-point deficit.
Of course, UConn won back-to-back national titles in 2023 and 2024, and after suffering a loss to eventual-champion Florida in the second round last year, Dan Hurley's team is looking to make the championship game for the third time in four years.
Illinois has been a very solid team under head coach Brad Underwood, but this is their first semifinal appearance since 2021. Led by freshman Keaton Wagler, the offense shoots extremely well from three and doesn't turn the ball over.
Here's a look at the odds board for the men's NCAA Tournament champion before the semifinal begins.
NCAA Tournament Outright Odds - Pre-Semifinal Round
Michigan | +165 |
Arizona | +175 |
Illinois | +400 |
UConn | +600 |
