What we learned in Duke’s win over Michigan, Arizona’s over Houston

With lower than 45 days till the Final Four, males’s faculty basketball followers got a preview of potential nationwide semifinal matchups in Indianapolis.

The prime 4 groups in the most recent AP ballot headlined a loaded Saturday slate, with No. 3 Duke taking down No. 1 Michigan, and No. 4 Arizona taking down No. 2 Houston. It was the primary time the Nos. 1 and a pair of groups misplaced on the identical day since Feb. 8, 2025.

What did the outcomes educate us about every contestant? And how ought to all 4 be ranked popping out of the day? ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf break it down.

How would you rank Michigan, Houston, Duke and Arizona after Saturday’s outcomes?

Jeff Borzello

1. duke: Can I actually put some other crew on the prime? Duke simply beat Michigan on a impartial courtroom, and proved it would not want essentially the most explosive offense in the nation to beat an elite crew. The Blue Devils have simply two losses all season: by one to Texas Tech in a sport they led by 17, and by three to North Carolina in a sport they led by 13. Saturday confirmed they’ll shut in opposition to a high-level opponent.

2. Arizona: Tommy Lloyd’s crew has an unbelievable set of wins, including the victory at Houston to a bunch that already included victories at UConn, over Florida in Las Vegas and over Alabama in Tuscaloosa. It was one of the crucial gritty, tough-minded wins we’ve seen from any crew all season. No Koa PeatNo Dwayne Aristode and a less-than-100% Brayden Burries with Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka in foul hassle. That they had been capable of get a win reveals this crew has a sure degree of toughness previous Arizona groups have not fairly possessed.

3. Michigan: The Wolverines are nonetheless arguably the favorites to win the nationwide championship, regardless of the loss. The truth they had been proper in the sport in the ultimate minute regardless of getting dominated in the paint and lacking a dozen open 3s is proof of their capacity. But they had been actually knocked off their pedestal, and questions can be raised about the place they go for offense late in video games.

4. Houston: A two-loss week for the Cougars. What most issues me after this stretch is how dependent they’re on their protection forcing turnovers. When they cannot get straightforward factors or put groups on the backfoot, they rely so closely on the shotmaking of their guards. Their guards are elite, so it isn’t essentially a dealbreaker, however it’s value monitoring. Iowa State and Arizona mixed to show the ball over simply eight instances in opposition to Houston, and allowed a mixed three factors off turnovers; The Cougars entered the week forcing almost 15 turnovers per sport and scoring 19 factors off turnovers.

Myron Medcalf

1. duke: The Blue Devils made the performs they needed to make down the stretch of an in depth, unbelievable sport — one that would set the stage for a rematch in March. They proved that they are the perfect crew in America proper now. They are additionally led by the perfect participant in the nation with Cameron Boozer. Hard to make a case for something however the prime spot for them.

2. Michigan: The Wolverines stayed shut all through the loss to Duke till the 3s stopped falling they usually could not outduel the Blue Devils in these valuable closing minutes.

3. Arizona: Even although they had been shorthanded with out Koa Peatthe Wildcats had been the perfect crew in opposition to Houston. Jaden Bradley made massive performs down the stretch that helped the Wildcats overcome one other outing with restricted impression from the 3-point line. But what actually stood out was a defensive effort that fueled Houston’s drought of 10-plus minutes and not using a subject aim in the second half.

4. Houston: The Cougars squandered two alternatives this week to show that they belong with the opposite nationwide title contenders on this checklist — if Iowa State was right here, I’d put Houston after the Cyclones. The Cougars had been up by double digits in opposition to Iowa State however fell aside in the ultimate minutes. They additionally could not discover a shot for a lot of the second half in the loss to Arizona, ruining their second alternative to make a robust case for a spot on the highest line come Selection Sunday.

What we learned from Saturday’s outcomes

What we learned about Duke

Duke is pretty much as good as any crew in faculty basketball. While his document and rating already mirrored that, he hadn’t actually but been thought-about among the many prime of the nationwide championship contenders this season. Michigan, Arizona, UConn (at instances) and Houston (extra not too long ago) have all been in that dialog. Now, Duke is just too, putting the Blue Devils squarely in the combination to earn the No. 1 general seed on Selection Sunday.

If there was any doubt, Duke’s Cameron Boozer is the clear National Player of the Year favourite. Michigan senior Yaxel Lendeborg outscored the freshman in the primary half, however Boozer put Duke’s offense on his again when it mattered. Boozer completed with 18 factors, 10 rebounds and 7 assists, and he scored seven straight Duke factors in the ultimate minutes to offer the Blue Devils the sting.

Saturday’s outing was about greater than Boozer, although. Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster hit some massive photographs from the perimeter and took care of the ball. Patrick Ngongba II made an impression at each ends. Nikolas Khamenia Duke gave some actually good minutes off the bench. Isaiah Evans he did not shoot effectively, however the confidence he has on the offensive finish did not waver.

Duke’s offense is not as explosive as that of different contenders. But when the protection performs prefer it did on Saturday, the Blue Devils need not rating 80 or 90 factors. That’s what may separate them come March. — Borzello

What we learned about Michigan

Essentially all of the components which have made Michigan essentially the most dominant crew in faculty basketball this season — all of the issues that allowed the Wolverines to have a cushty win at Purdue earlier this week — weren’t there on Saturday.

The greatest eyebrow raiser got here up entrance. Michigan’s frontcourt has been unparalleled, with coach Dusty May counting on jumbo lineups to bully and overpower groups. On Saturday, the Wolverines fought in opposition to an opposing frontcourt for maybe the primary time all season. They entered the sport averaging 41 paint factors per sport and had a median rebound margin of almost 10 boards. Duke outscored the Wolverines 34-24 in the paint and outrebounded them 41-28. It was the primary time this season Michigan was outrebounded by double digits.

Michigan might need been capable of overcome its lack of manufacturing on the inside had it shot the way in which it did in opposition to the Boilermakers, in opposition to whom it went 13-for-23 from 3. But the Wolverines had been simply 6-for-25 from past the arc versus Duke, making just one 3-pointer from the 9:40 mark of the primary half till the three:50 left in the second. Elliot Cadeau, Trey McKenney, Nimari Burnett and LJ Cason mixed to hit two treys.

It’s not a loss that can really impression their notion because the favorites to win the nationwide championship — on one other day, these open 3s fall, Aday Mara would not get in foul hassle and so forth — however what regarded like a waltz to a nationwide title has hit a bump in the street. — Borzello

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Arizona Wildcats vs. Houston Cougars: Game Highlights

Arizona Wildcats vs. Houston Cougars: Game Highlights

What we learned about Arizona

The Wildcats can nonetheless beat any crew in America, they usually proved as a lot in one among faculty basketball’s most hostile environments in opposition to one among their finest groups.

Arizona had been almost flawless till final week, struggling its first losses of the season at Kansas after which to Texas Tech. Despite that two-game slide, the Wildcats have been one of many nation’s most constant contenders for 4 months. More importantly, they’ve excelled in the essential moments that outline a season, and proved that when once more Saturday.

Arizona’s protection was wonderful after halftime, when Houston struggled to attain. The Cougars did not rating for almost eight minutes in the second half, their longest scoring drought of the season. Jaden Bradley made massive photographs down the stretch and completed with 17 factors. Anthony Dell’Orso had 22 off the bench, and Ivan Kharchenkov added 16 factors. The Wildcats shot 25% from past the arc Saturday and failed to increase the lead by greater than 10 factors. — Medcalf

What we learned about Houston

This was the kind of battle Kelvin Sampson’s Houston groups appeared to take pleasure in, however the Cougars as soon as once more suffered a scoring drought that they could not overcome.

Houston went scoreless for almost eight minutes in the second half in opposition to Arizona. And though the Wildcats’ protection performed a big function in that drought, the Cougars cannot count on to chop down the nets in April if they cannot get a much-needed bucket. They had been additionally outscored 21-9 in the final 11 minutes of their 70-67 loss at Iowa State on Monday.

Do they’ve the offensive output to commerce punches with the perfect groups in America? The NCAA event is determined by playmakers and stars, and the Cougars have them, however their incapacity to beat a pair of ugly stretches in back-to-back video games is regarding. This week’s losses recommend that except star freshman Kingston Flemings can create photographs in clutch moments, they is likely to be susceptible to extra droughts on the most important juncture of the season. — Medcalf