With decrease than 45 days till the Final Four, men’s college basketball fans got a preview of doable nationwide semifinal matchups in Indianapolis.
The tip four groups in the most modern AP poll headlined a loaded Saturday slate, with No. 3 Duke and No. 4 Arizona taking down No. 1 Michigan and No. 2 Houston, respectively. It became the first time the Nos. 1 and 2 groups misplaced on the identical day since Feb. 8, 2025.
What did the outcomes notify us about every contender? And how could maybe procure to tranquil all four be ranked coming out of the day? ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf break it down.
Duke is as accurate as any team in college basketball. While its file and ranking already reflected that, it hadn’t essentially yet been regarded as amongst the tip of the nationwide championship contenders this season. Michigan, Arizona, UConn (at cases) and Houston (extra as of late) procure all been in that dialog. Now, Duke is simply too, inserting the Blue Devils squarely in the mix to form the No. 1 total seed on Determination Sunday.
If there became any doubt, Duke’s Cameron Boozer is the sure National Player of the Twelve months well-liked. Michigan senior Yaxel Lendeborg outscored the freshman in the first half, but Boozer effect Duke’s offense on his help when it mattered. Boozer completed with 18 parts, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and he scored seven straight Duke parts in the closing minutes to provide the Blue Devils the brink.
Saturday’s day out became about extra than Boozer, despite the indisputable truth that. Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster hit some large pictures from the perimeter and took care of the ball. Patrick Ngongba II made an affect at both ends. Nikolas Khamenia gave Duke some essentially accurate minutes off the bench. Isaiah Evans didn’t shoot properly, however the boldness he has on the offensive cease didn’t waver.
Duke’s offense is rarely in any respect times essentially as explosive as that of assorted contenders. Nevertheless when the defense plays treasure it did on Saturday, the Blue Devils plot now not procure to achieve 80 or 90 parts. That is what could maybe separate them design March. — Borzello
What we realized about Michigan
The truth is the total substances which procure made Michigan the most dominant team in college basketball this season — the total issues that allowed the Wolverines to procure a relaxed earn at Purdue earlier this week — weren’t there on Saturday.
The ideally suited eyebrow raiser got right here up front. Michigan’s frontcourt has been unparalleled, with coach Dusty May well just relying on jumbo lineups to bully and overpower groups. On Saturday, the Wolverines struggled in opposition to an opposing frontcourt for possibly the first time all season. They entered the game averaging 41 paint parts per game and had a median rebound margin of almost 10 boards. Duke outscored the Wolverines 34-24 in the paint and outrebounded them 41-28. It became the first time this season Michigan became outrebounded by double digits.
Michigan could maybe also need been ready to beat its lack of production on the interior had it shot the methodology it did in opposition to the Boilermakers, in opposition to whom it went 13-for-23 from 3. Nevertheless the Wolverines had been just 6-for-25 from beyond the arc versus Duke, making simplest one 3-pointer from the 9:40 mark of the first half till the 3:50 left in the 2d. Elliot Cadeau, Trey McKenney, Nimari Burnett and L.J. Cason blended to hit two treys.
It be now not a loss that will essentially affect their conception because the favorites to earn the nationwide championship — on every other day, these commence 3s fall, Aday Mara doesn’t compile in snide grief and a variety of others — but what seemed treasure a waltz to a nationwide title has hit a bump in the boulevard. — Borzello
The Wildcats can tranquil beat any team in The US, and to boot they proved as a lot in a single amongst college basketball’s most adversarial environments in opposition to one amongst its simplest groups.
Arizona had been almost flawless till final week, suffering its first losses of the season at Kansas and then to Texas Tech. Despite that two-game ride, the Wildcats had been one amongst the nation’s most consistent contenders for four months. More importantly, they procure got excelled in the valuable moments that provide an explanation for a season, and proved that all all over again Saturday.
Arizona’s defense became stunning after halftime, when Houston struggled to achieve. The Cougars didn’t receive for almost eight minutes in the 2d half, their longest scoring drought of the season. Jaden Bradley made large pictures down the stretch and completed with 17 parts. Anthony Dell’Orso had 22 off the bench, and Ivan Kharchenkov added 16 parts. The Wildcats shot 25% from beyond the arc Saturday and did now not lengthen the lead by extra than 10 parts. — Medcalf
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Arizona Wildcats vs. Houston Cougars: Game Highlights
Arizona Wildcats vs. Houston Cougars: Game Highlights
What we realized about Houston
This became the kind of fight Kelvin Sampson’s Houston groups gave the impact to ride, however the Cougars all all over again suffered a scoring drought that they could maybe now not overcome.
Houston went scoreless for almost eight minutes in the 2d half in opposition to Arizona. And despite the indisputable truth that the Wildcats’ defense performed a valuable role in that drought, the Cougars can not effect a query to to diminish down the nets in April if they are able to not compile a a lot-valuable bucket. They had been also outscored 21-9 in the final 11 minutes of their 70-67 loss at Iowa Negate on Monday.
Comprise they procure got the offensive output to interchange punches with the most keen groups in The US? The NCAA match is made up our minds by playmakers and stars, and the Cougars procure them, but their inability to beat a pair of gruesome stretches in help-to-help games is relating to. This week’s losses counsel that unless large determine freshman Kingston Flemings can form pictures in grasp moments, they’ll be predisposed to extra droughts on the most extreme juncture of the season. — Medcalf
How would you putrid these groups now?
Borzello: Duke, Arizona, Michigan, Houston.
1. Duke: Can I essentially effect any assorted team on the tip? Duke just beat Michigan on a neutral court, and proved it doesn’t need the most explosive offense in the nation to beat an elite team. The Blue Devils procure just two losses all season: by one to Texas Tech in a game they led by 17, and by three to North Carolina in a game they led by 13. Saturday confirmed they’ll finish in opposition to a high-degree opponent.
2. Arizona: Tommy Lloyd’s team has an nice situation of wins, adding the victory at Houston to a neighborhood that already integrated victories at UConn, over Florida in Las Vegas and over Alabama in Tuscaloosa. It became one amongst the extra gritty, tough-minded wins we procure viewed from any team all season. No Koa Peat, no Dwayne Aristode and a much less-than-100% Brayden Burries with Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka in snide grief. That they had been ready to compile a earn exhibits this team has a particular degree of toughness previous Arizona groups haven’t rather possessed.
3. Michigan: The Wolverines are tranquil arguably the favorites to earn the nationwide championship, despite the loss. The truth they had been accurate in the game in the closing minute despite getting dominated in the paint and missing a dozen commence 3s is proof of their capacity. Nevertheless they had been no doubt knocked off their pedestal, and questions will be raised in regards to the build they lag for offense slack in games.
4. Houston: A two-loss week for the Cougars. What most concerns me after this stretch is how dependent they’re on their defense forcing turnovers. After they are able to not compile straightforward parts or effect groups on the backfoot, they count so heavily on the shotmaking of their guards. Their guards are elite, so it’s now not essentially a dealbreaker, but it completely’s price monitoring. Iowa Negate and Arizona blended to flip the ball over just eight cases in opposition to Houston, and allowed a blended three parts off turnovers; the Cougars entered the week forcing almost 15 turnovers per game and scoring 19 parts off turnovers.
Medcalf: Duke, Michigan, Arizona, Houston.
1. Duke: The Blue Devils made the plays that they needed to tag down the stretch of a finish, nice game — one which can maybe situation the stage for a rematch in March. They proved that they are the most keen team in The US accurate now. They’re also led by the most keen participant in the nation with Cameron Boozer. No longer easy to tag a case for the leisure however the tip build for them.
2. Michigan: The Wolverines stayed finish for the length of the loss to Duke till the 3s stopped falling and to boot they could maybe now not outduel the Blue Devils in these treasured final minutes.
3. Arizona: Even supposing they had been shorthanded with out Koa Peat, the Wildcats had been the greater team in opposition to Houston. Jaden Bradley made large plays down the stretch that helped the Wildcats overcome every other day out with puny affect from the 3-point line. Nevertheless what essentially stood out became a defensive effort that fueled Houston’s drought of 10-plus minutes with out a enviornment purpose in the 2d half.
4. Houston: The Cougars squandered two opportunities this week to show veil that they belong with the assorted nationwide title contenders on this list — if Iowa Negate became right here, I’d effect Houston after the Cyclones. The Cougars had been up by double digits in opposition to Iowa Negate but fell apart in the closing minutes. Additionally they could maybe now not salvage a shot for rather just a few the 2d half in the loss to Arizona, ruining their 2d opportunity to tag a tough case for a build on the tip line design Determination Sunday.
Duke 68, Michigan 63
Arizona 73, Houston 66
