It's not a stretch to say that in most seasons, Michigan and Arizona are good enough to have won the national championship.
The problem is with each other. In the history of the Kenpom rankings, these are two of the three highest-rated teams EVER. It's expected to be one of the best college basketball games of all time.
Michigan vs. Arizona in the Final Four is a matchup between the third and fourth-highest KenPom ratings ever.
— Brandon Koretz (@BrandonKoretz) March 31, 2026
1. 1999 Duke (+43.01)
2. 2025 Duke (+39.29)
3. 2026 Michigan (+39.02)
4. 2026 Arizona (+38.76)
5. 2001 Duke (+37.32)
One of the biggest college basketball games ever.
That's not hyperbole from a Michigan basketball fan either; KenPom rates it as the most exciting game ever. It's easy to understand why. The Wolverines are a force to be reckoned with, winning four NCAA Tournament games by an average of 22 points, while scoring at least 90 in all four games.
No team has done that since the Wolverines did it back in 1989. Michigan has three future first-round picks in its starting lineup, plus one of the best point guards in college basketball, a future pro coming off the bench in Trey McKenney, and Roddy Gayle, the perfect veteran, who once scored 13.3 points per game for Ohio State in the 2023-24 season.
This team is loaded. It has size, shooting, and is great defensively. The problem is that Arizona has all of those things, too.
Dusty May explains why Arizona is terrifying
"They do a number of things to terrify you... They're as good as I can remember in recent memory." @colincowherd talks with @umichbball head coach Dusty May about facing Arizona in the Final Four pic.twitter.com/Z0yY6Nkmxu
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) March 30, 2026
"Well, I was just watching them as we got on here, Colin, and they do a number of things to terrify you, like us," May said via Colin Cowherd. "They have so many weapons. We can start, rattle off Koa Peat, Burries, and Jaden Bradley. And we haven't even mentioned Krivas yet or Kharchenkov. You haven't even mentioned these guys that are going to play in the NBA. And that's very similar, the way other opposing coaches talk about our team."
The Wildcats' big three is incredibly talented, led by freshman Brayden Burries, the No. 9 recruit in the 2025 class. He's scoring 16.1 points per game. Jaden Bradley, a senior, and another former five-star recruit, averages 13.3 points and 4.4 assists, while Koa Peat, a 6-foot-8 freshman, and you guessed it, a five-star, is averaging 14.4 points, 5.5 boards, and 2.7 assists.
Here's our initial deep dive into Arizona and the key takeaway is that these two teams are built to win the same way: inside out.
— Dylan Burkhardt (@umhoops) March 30, 2026
Full read: https://t.co/L9zGiYVCK3 pic.twitter.com/4doNDCH35J
Arizona and Michigan are very similar. The Wildcats don't shoot as many threes, but they are dominant in the paint on both ends of the floor, so it will be strength against strength.
I wouldn't go as far as calling it the national championship game, because Illinois and UConn are each capable of winning it all, but it should be one of the best matchups, on paper, in March Madness history.