Standings     Live Score
Login
Newsletter
Basketball

Final Four bold predictions: Which drought continues? Who wins it all?

By

It all comes down to this. What wild things will go down in the Final Four?

There have been some incredible moments that have made the 2026 Men’s NCAA Tournament unforgettable, truly encapsulating what makes March Madness such a spectacle. It only makes sense those instant classics continue on the sport’s biggest stage, with Arizona, Michigan, Connecticut and Illinois headed to Indianapolis, two wins away from becoming national champions.

With just three games left in the season, it’s time for one more batch of bold predictions, just in time for the 2026 Final Four.

King of the Blue Bloods? How UConn can pass Duke this weekend

1 / 34

See the best photos of Illinois basketball’s run to 2026 Final Four

Illinois Fighting Illini center Zvonimir Ivisic (44) dunks the ball against the Penn Quakers in the second half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Buzzer-beating shot

There have been so many clutch plays during this tournament in the final seconds, why not go for another?

One thing that will carry over from last season’s Final Four is all of the participants are pretty evenly matched. You could make a plausible case for every one of them to end up on top, which is why we will have some extremely close games in Lucas Oil Stadium.

All of the 2025 Final Four games were decided by six points or less, and that will happen once again. Whether its the semifinals or the championship, it goes all the way down to the final seconds, with someone becoming the hero for their team.

1 / 37

See best of March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities

Iowa State Cyclones fans cheer against the Kentucky Wildcats during the first half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri.

UConn extends Final Four streak

The Final Four round is getting close to being called the Connecticut Invitational, and the Huskies will prove why on Saturday, April 4.

In its seven Final Four appearances, UConn has advanced and won the national championship game six times, currently riding a four-game winning streak in the semifinals. Dan Hurley has yet to lose after the round of 32, with a 10-0 record in the Sweet 16 or later. It’s truly some mind boggling success UConn has on the biggest stage.

In the Final Four, UConn continues that run. The Huskies are going to have their hands full dealing with the scoring threat of Illinois, but the Huskies are one of the most experienced teams in the quartet. Alex Karaban comes up big down the stretch for some key buckets to get UConn its fifth straight Final Four round win, and back to the title game for the third time in four years.

1 / 28

See the best photos of Michigan basketball’s run to 2026 Final Four

Michigan Wolverines guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) shakes hands with forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) against the Howard Bison during the second half of a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Keybank Center.

Big Ten title drought continues

This tournament has been all about the Big Tens success. However, it won’t be able to punctuate it with a national championship.

Getting two teams in the Final Four gives the Big Ten a 50% chance of claiming the title-winner, and there’s a chance of it being an all-Big Ten championship game, which a conference hasn’t done since the Big Eight had Kansas and Oklahoma in 1988. However, the Big Ten teams have some major task ahead of them. UConn’s experience will come up clutch against Illinois, and Michigan faces a relentless Arizona team. Even though the Wolverines offense is on a level of its own, the Wildcats defense is able to limit it, and the deep rotation is able to land a few big blows to Michigan. Arizona makes the right plays at the end to win a classic.

With Illinois and Michigan losing, it means the streak without a Big Ten champion extends to 26 years, a tough ending after being the best conference in all of March.

1 / 30

See the best photos of Arizona basketball’s run to 2026 Final Four

Arizona Wildcats forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) reacts in the first half against the LIU Sharks during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena.

The West wins with Arizona taking it all

In 2026, the West Coast becomes the Best Coast.

Arizona was the last West Coast team to win a national championship, back in 1997, and it will end up being the next one to win it all again. The Wildcats shed off the March woes that have plagued the program for most of the 21st century, thanks to a loaded team that can beat you in a multitude of ways. With too many weapons for teams to neutralize, Arizona powers through the field to claim its second national championship, winning it in the same city it won its first one in.

The West Coast has tried to claim the top prize this century, with Final Four trips from Arizona, UCLA, Gonzaga, Utah, Oregon and San Diego State all falling just short, but it will be the 2025-26 Wildcats that bring glory back to the region.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Final Four bold predictions: Who makes championship game, and wins it

Read the full article here

Share.

Related Articles

Copyright © 2026 Prices.com LLC – Data powered by Oddspedia 
Exit mobile version