Final Four locked
The men’s NCAA Final Four is set for April 4 at Lucas Oil Stadium — the national title game follows on April 6 — after Illinois punched the tournament’s first Final Four ticket and Arizona also advanced, with Arizona now being pegged as the favorite. ( ).
Illinois reached the national semifinals with a 71-59 Elite Eight win over Iowa. (espn.com) Keaton Wagler and Andrej Stojakovic combined for 42 points in that game, pacing the Illini’s attack. (msn.com) Arizona closed out Purdue 79-64 in the West regional final, rallying from a seven-point halftime deficit to advance. (espn.com) The Wildcats’ victory moved their season record to 36-2 and puts Arizona into its first Final Four since 2001. (espn.com) Oddsmakers made Arizona the favorite to win the national title at about +170, while Illinois’ championship odds shortened to roughly +600 after Saturday’s results. (espn.com) The last two Final Four berths will be decided Sunday in Elite Eight matchups: No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 6 Tennessee and No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 UConn. (cbssports.com) According to the tournament bracket, Illinois is slotted to face the winner of Duke‑UConn in the national semifinals while Arizona emerged from the opposite side of the bracket. (ncaa.com)
