Ultimate 4 Preview? No. 2 Houston vs. No. 4 Arizona, No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 3 Duke Headline Saturday NCAA Slate

The Ultimate 4 in Indianapolis might not be for one more six weeks, however Saturday’s featured double-header may very effectively be an early preview. Heck, given the randomness of the NCAA Match, it might find yourself being a greater slate outright.

(Photograph by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Photographs)

No. 4 Arizona at No. 2 Houston

The afternoon begins with No. 4 Arizona Wildcats touring to No. 2 Houston Cougars, and the Wildcats look to keep away from a 3rd loss in 4 video games. On the flip aspect, Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars look to keep away from a second straight loss themselves after falling to No. 6 Iowa State in Ames on Monday. Houston is at the moment a 5.5-point unfold favourite on the time of publishing, up from 3.5 factors at opening.

Contemplating the truth that each of Arizona’s losses have come by a mixed seven factors, it’s considerably eye-opening that Vegas is siding with Houston so decidedly.

Apart from their loss on Monday, Houston has largely been rounding into type as a workforce that may fairly plausibly attain its second consecutive nationwide title sport. Even when they fall quick, you can also make a critical case this yr’s workforce is best than final with the return of three starters (Emanuel Sharp, Joseph Tugler, Milos Uzan) coinciding with the emergence of phenom freshman Kingston Flemings.

Flemings, now slated to go fourth general in June’s NBA Draft by most retailers, wasn’t even essentially the most coveted recruit in Houston’s freshman class this season when the season started. That may be Chris Cenac, who was the sixth-ranked recruit within the nation and is probably going a first-round choose himself regardless of being largely outshone by Flemings this season.

Arizona additionally has a near-perfect complementary pairing of elite freshman expertise and high-level upperclassmen, which has traditionally served groups effectively within the postseason. Freshman phenom Koa Peat will virtually definitely be a part of Houston’s Flemings and Cenac as a first-round choice in June and was even an early Nationwide Participant of the 12 months candidate after a quick begin earlier than truly fizzling out a bit. Sadly for the Wildcats, they’re going to most certainly be with out Peat on Saturday as a consequence of a decrease leg damage.

Though Peat was nonetheless taking part in at a excessive degree, the backcourt mixture of freshman Brayden Burries and senior Jaden Bradley has change into the engine that powers Arizona down the stretch.

Regulate your calendars, the Ultimate 4 isn’t on April 4th.

It is this Saturday February twenty first. pic.twitter.com/RSTH20ltAC

— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) February 16, 2026

No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 3 Duke

The primary occasion of the afternoon, if you’ll, is a extremely anticipated matchup between No. 1 Michigan Wolverines and No. 3 Duke Blue Devils. The matchup, being held in Washington, D.C., will virtually definitely decide who tops the upcoming AP Ballot on Monday morning, which Duke is seeking to declare for the primary time this season. The chance of that truly coming to fruition, given Michigan’s degree of play as of late? Possibly not as excessive because the Dukies wish to assume.

Save for an uncharacteristic slip-up towards Wisconsin on the prime of Massive Ten play, Michigan has been borderline unstoppable no matter who the opponent is. The Wolverines have coasted by way of arguably the hardest convention in faculty basketball, beating ranked opponents corresponding to No. 5 Nebraska, No. 7 Michigan State, and No. 7 Purdue. To not point out, they trounced No. 24 USC by 30 factors and beat No. 12 Gonzaga by 40 in non-conference play on the Gamers Period match in Las Vegas.

Nonetheless, this Duke workforce can be a bunch that’s teetering on the sting of being a historic energy. Freshman phenom Cameron Boozer is all however assured to take consensus Nationwide Participant of the 12 months honors, rating fourth within the nation in scoring (22.8 PPG) whereas main Duke in rebounds per sport (10.0), assists per sport (3.9), and steals per sport (1.7). Though Duke has slipped up twice this season whereas Michigan has slipped up simply as soon as, each of the Blue Devils’ losses got here towards ranked opponents both at a impartial web site (vs. Texas Tech) or on the street (at North Carolina).