As March Madness comes to an end, I think we can all agree that brackets have yet again created much tension among families, groups, and stress for ourselves. This year, Easter and the Final Four fall on the same weekend, and as an Indianapolis native, I am beyond excited to be going home for both events.
Final Four
As of Sunday, the men’s final four teams are set: Michigan, UCONN, Arizona, and Illinois. While Arizona isn’t a shock one bit, I believe most can agree that the rest were bracket busters.
Mine’s been busted since the 32nd round. My dad hasn’t let me forget. I won’t let him forget that Purdue lost.
This Saturday, we will see Illinois and UCONN face off with a 6:09 pm EST tip-off at Lucas Oil Stadium. Directly after, Michigan and Arizona are set to face off with an 8:49 pm EST tip-off.
Over the course of this past season, we have seen Illinois and Michigan shock the BIG10 conference, especially with Michigan missing the tournament two years ago and being a five seed in 2025 and Illinois a six seed in 2025.
Arizona
However, while Arizona has been a powerhouse and performed incredibly well this season with a 36-2 record, they haven’t made a final four appearance since 2001 – a couple of years before their current players were born.
UCONN
UCONN is currently on a 33-5 record, but they have only a four-game winning streak, while Arizona holds a winning streak of 13. Compared to Arizona, they have more final four appearances and were last seen in 2024, where they lost in the first round after winning the championship in 2023.
Illinois
Illinois’s record is the worst of the final four teams, being 28-8 for the season. They are the ultimate dark horse of this final four, with them being a three seed, the lowest of all final four teams.
Michigan
Michigan is currently 35-3 record-wise, currently only on a winning streak of four, yet still a number one seed, making strides from the past where they wouldn’t even make the tournament, let alone be ranked so high.
Out of these four programs, Arizona is the favorite for the title of champion; however, after UCONN’s performance against Duke with Braylon Mills’ last-minute three-pointer sending them to the final four, I wouldn’t be shocked if UCONN sweeps the men’s and women’s final four.
Other Events
For those in Indianapolis, IN, there will be many free events in the downtown area to attend, including the Reese’s Final Four Friday, where attendees can watch the teams practice at Lucas Oil on April 3rd.
As the excitement for the upcoming weekend builds, especially for die-hard fans of the teams, Indianapolis residents, and those whose brackets are still doing mildly ok or at least still in contention, another March Madness tournament comes to an end as events begin to set up for the final weekend, kicking off tomorrow, Friday, April 3rd.