The biggest college basketball tournament is here, bringing plenty of excitement and storylines. Will we see Cinderellas pull upsets, or will the bluebloods keep their grip on the tournament? With the power of a reliable connection always important during a successful tournament run, we’re keeping you connected to the can’t-miss headlines and standout moments from every round.

 

The last four teams standing in the 2026 men’s  are all among the top 12 seeds. On one side of the bracket, UConn looks to win its third national title in four seasons while Illinois is in search of the school’s first national championship.

On the other side, Arizona and Michigan meet as the lone top seeds remaining in the tournament in  . If both the Illini and Wolverines win, the Big Ten will be guaranteed its first men’s basketball national title in 25 years.

Here’s what you need to know for

No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Illinois

How UConn got here

We don’t have to tell you about  . The Huskies are in a third Final Four across the past four seasons after the freshman from Greenfield, Indiana, hit a deep 3-pointer off a mid-court steal to give UConn a 73-72 Elite Eight win over the Blue Devils.

The Huskies won their Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games by a combined five points. Before beating Duke, UConn took down No. 3 Michigan State 67-63. Prior to that win over the Spartans, UConn beat No. 15 Furman by 11 and No. 7 UCLA by 16.

How Illinois got here

The Illini have won games this NCAA tournament in a variety of ways. In the first round, Illinois was one of five teams to score more than 100 points. In the Sweet 16, Illinois scored just 65 in a 10-point upset of No. 2 Houston.

That was the second-fewest points Illinois scored all season — we’ll talk about the game in which the Illini scored 61 points shortly — and only the second time that Illinois scored fewer than 70. Very few teams can win at such opposite ends of the scoring spectrum. And after beating Houston, the Illini faced one of the few teams that plays slower than the Cougars in a 72-59 victory over No. 9 Iowa.

Players to watch

How does UConn F Alex Karaban bounce back from one of his worst shooting performances of the season against Duke? Karaban was just 2-of-10 from the field and 1-of-6 from the 3-point line against the Blue Devils.

Karaban can run hot and cold. He’s had six games this season where he’s shot 20% or less from the field. But the Huskies are 4-2 in those games. They eked out a 64-62 win over Georgetown when he was 2-of-11 and beat Marquette by 16 when he also had that same shooting line.

It’s not a coincidence that Karaban’s only make from the 3-point line came as the Huskies clawed their way back into the game against Duke. UConn was dreadful behind the arc before making four of their last five attempts to finish 5-of-23 from 3-point range.

Illinois F Andrej Stojakovic has been incredibly efficient over Illinois’ last three games. Stojakovic was 7-of-9 from the field for 17 points against Iowa and has scored 51 points on 17-of-29 shooting since the Illini beat VCU in the second round.

Unlike his father, former NBA sharpshooter Peja, Andrej is not one to take many 3-pointers and prefers to get into the lane. He didn’t attempt a single 3-point shot in the win over Iowa and attempted just five — and made one — in the previous two games. As Keaton Wagler has been Illinois’ star freshman, Stojakovic’s ability to be a stellar secondary scorer is a big reason why Illinois is two wins away from its first national title.

Key to the game

The two teams met on Nov. 28, when UConn got a 74-61 win. What can we take from that game? Probably nothing.

Wagler played just 14 minutes and took three shots. He scored as many points (three) as he had fouls. Illinois had just six field goals inside the arc and star UConn big man Tarris Reed also hardly played. Reed, who had four fouls, played 15 minutes and scored just two free throws.

The scouting reports from that game are irrelevant as both teams have grown throughout the season. Like Wagler, just look at Mullins. He played 10 minutes in that November win. He hasn’t played fewer than 29 minutes in any of UConn’s four NCAA tournament games.

How often UConn can get to the free throw line will be an underrated part of Saturday’s first semifinal. Illinois commits just 13 fouls a game and its opponents shot just over 12 free throws a game. No team does a better job of preventing its opponents from getting to the line. UConn, meanwhile, ranks 310th out of 365 Division I teams in free throw rate at just under 18 free throws a game. If the Huskies can match their season average, they could be in good shape.

No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 1 Michigan

How Arizona got here

The Wildcats haven’t won a game in the NCAA tournament by fewer than 12 points. That “close” game came in the second round in a 78-66 win over No. 9 Utah State. In the Sweet 16, Arizona’s 109-88 win over No. 4 Arkansas  , and then the Wildcats pulled away from No. 2 Purdue in the second half of the Elite Eight for a 79-64 win.

How Michigan got here

The Wolverines scoff at Arizona’s dominance. Michigan’s closest game of the tournament is a 90-77 Sweet 16 win over No. 4 Alabama. And the Wolverines’ other three wins have all been by at least 23 points. Michigan is the only team in the NCAA tournament to score at least 90 points in each of its games, and the Wolverines posted the biggest Elite Eight blowout since their 37-point win in 1989 with a 95-62 win over No. 6 Tennessee on Sunday.

Players to watch

Freshman Arizona F Koa Peat has scored 70 points and grabbed 27 rebounds so far in the NCAA tournament. Peat scored 20 points and had seven rebounds in the win over Purdue, and was 8-of-11 from the field for 21 points in Arizona’s win over Arkansas.

Not counting the overtime loss to Texas Tech that he left early because of a leg injury, Peat has scored seven or fewer points in six games this season. But he’s also scored 20 or more eight times — and four of those games have come in March.

How he matches up against Michigan F Yaxel Lendeborg will be a huge factor. The UAB transfer has been unstoppable himself in the tournament. He scored 27 points against Tennessee after dropping 23 on Alabama and 25 against St. Louis. Against the Crimson Tide, Lendeborg added 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. That game also featured the only two turnovers he has committed through Michigan’s four tournament wins.

Lendeborg has dominated Michigan’s opposition. But it’s also fair to say that none of the teams Michigan has played have a frontcourt like the Wildcats do. Will Peat draw the defensive assignment on Lendeborg, or will he guard Morez Johnson Jr. while Ivan Kharchenkov takes Lendeborg? Kharchenkov was assigned to Purdue guard Braden Smith in the Elite Eight, and Smith was just 4-of-15 from the field.

Key to the game

It’s not an overstatement to say this semifinal is the game of the season in college basketball. Sure, the national title game will obviously have bigger stakes, but these are the two clear favorites for the national title and the two best teams in college basketball all season. Whoever wins will be significantly favored on Monday night.

The frontcourt matchup will get a lot of attention with Lendeborg and Peat along with Johnson, Kharchenkov, Aday Mara and Motiejus Krivas. But how Michigan’s backcourt stacks up with Arizona’s will be just as significant.

Arizona guard Jaden Bradley was named the Big 12 player of the year, while freshman guard Brayden Burries leads the team with 16.1 points per game. Burries had 23 points against Arkansas, while Bradley has scored at least 14 in each of the past three games.