All eyes are going to be on the biggest matchup of the season for No. 1 Michigan, as the No. 3 Duke Blue Devils are coming up on Saturday night. This is a potential Final Four preview. Matter of fact, it won't be a surprise to see these two sides battle it out for the national title.
Michigan's showdown with Duke will be decided by one thing
With this being such a blockbuster showdown, you better believe point guard Elliot Cadeau is fired up to help his new team post a statement win. A former Tar Heel, Cadeau faced Duke three times last season, going 0-3. Think that's on his mind leading up to tip-off in Washington D.C.? You better believe it:
Elliot Cadeau: “it’s extra personal for me… I lost to them 3 times in a row last year”
— Zion O. (@DukeNBA) February 21, 2026
Michigan star Elliot Cadeau has extra motivation to take down No. 3 Duke
In what was a down season for North Carolina last year, things were made worse for Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels in losing each matchup to rival Duke. Now, Cadeau is a standout in Ann Arbor for Dusty May, with a shot at revenge against the Wolverines on the table for him.
This is going to be a massive showdown and the hype keeps growing for this contest. Duke is of course going to make things difficult, as the Blue Devils are looking like one of the top teams in the country. Hey, even we've got to give credit to Jon Scheyer for the job he's doing.
For Duke, 5-star freshman Cameron Boozer has been sensational and he's in the hunt to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. The Wolverines are going to have their hands full in trying to contain him, but May will work to have the right game plan prepped for him.
Michigan is a small favorite for this one, giving Wolverines fans extra hope that a primetime victory will be on the way. From our chair, this is going to be a see-saw battle, with Cadeau ready to make a sizable difference. Should Michigan pull off the win, perhaps no one will be happier in the locker room than Cadeau.