There was something significant about the Michigan basketball team's win over Saint Louis on Saturday.
It wasn't just that the Wolverines clinched another berth in the Sweet 16, their seventh dating back to the 2017 NCAA Tournament. What made the win significant was that Michigan looked like the team that dominated the Players' Era Tournament.
For the first time in a while, Michigan looked like the national title favorite. The oddsmakers have had the Wolverines pegged as the favorite since Duke suffered some injuries late in the season.
Arizona, not Duke, might be Michigan's biggest threat
Arizona has been looking strong, too. Charles Barkley is a big fan of the Wildcats. Yet, after Michigan basketball's 95-72 win over Saint Louis, a team that's better than most people realized before the NCAA Tournament started, Sir Charles was singing a different tune.
Barkley is right about Michigan looking as good as any team in college basketball. He also might be right about the biggest contender standing in the way of the Wolverines winning it all.
After the loss earlier in the season to Duke, it felt like it was going to be the Blue Devils. Now, it might be Arizona, which is the team Michigan would meet in the national semifinals if they advanced to the Final Four, and Arizona did, too. Duke and Michigan are on opposite sides of the bracket.
So the Wolverines might have to beat Arizona and Duke to win it all, if Duke makes it there. The Blue Devils struggled in the opening round with Siena, falling behind by 13 in the second half before rallying to win the game. TCU gave Duke trouble, too, until the Blue Devils pulled away.
As it stands, Michigan is +310 to win it all. Vegas has Arizona at +390, while Duke has the third-best odds now at +440. Arizona is loaded with talent and is 33-2. They will play on Sunday with a Sweet 16 berth of their own on the line, and as of right now, they could be the biggest threat to the Wolverines.
Duke could also find its form. Winning the national title doesn't mean being at your best for six games. You just have to win six games, and it feels like Michigan, Duke, and Arizona still have the best chance to do that.