I am rooting for Oregon’s former PAC-12 brethren, the Arizona Wildcats to win it all in hoops this year. Since Arizona last won it in 1997, only two programs west of the Mississippi River, Baylor (2021) and Kansas (2008, 2022) have won March Madness. That is awful. Even Mr. FishDuck paused from his study for the upcoming season at FanDuel ...

For the Love of the West

Aaahh Darren, my attitude is that it is "good-or-good" between Michigan and Arizona. If Big-Blue wins--good for the Big-10, and if the Wildcats win--good for the west.

Nice article-thanks.

Thank you, Darren.

I'm cheering for the B1G and for B1G money. The B1G has not won it all since 2000. B12 commish Yormark already beats his breast enough; I don't want him to hurt himself. 😁

Michigan and Arizona have played the Tourney's best ball. Both teams swatted down worthy SEC opponents, Arizona over Arkansas, and Michigan's blowout of the Tennessee Vols.

Purdue defeated Michigan to win the Big Ten tournament and had the halftime lead against Arizona before the Wildcats shut down the Boilermakers in the second half.

Almost all of the 'experts' are calling for the winner of Saturday's nightcap to win it all.

Michigan is a modest -1.5 favorite.

But wait a minute! Hurley's UConn teams rarely lose tournament games. Illinois is the -2.5 favorite; however, on November 28th, UConn defeated Illinois 74-61 in a 'home game' played in Madison Square Garden, less than a three-hour drive from the UConn campus.

The Illini's European players had yet to form a union (🙃) on defense, and frosh phenom Keaton Wagler was not yet starting at point guard. This team was excellent on offense the entire season, finishing No. 1 in KenPom's Adjusted Offense Efficiency. Overcoming numerous injuries, the Illinois defense improved over the season.

In the Sweet 16 game in Houston, Illinois held a Houston team averaging 76.9 points a game to 55 points. In the Elite 8 game, Iowa shot 38% in the 2nd half.

FWIW, Illinois is the tallest team in CBB, will have the size advantage over UConn, and the size to match up with Arizona or Michigan.

Another advantage the Illini will have on Saturday, at least 50% of the crowd in Indianapolis on Saturday will be Michigan and Illinois fans. 60% plus of the crowd is likely to be Big Ten fans.

I expect Michigan and all of the B1G fans in Lucas Oil Stadium in basketball-mad Indiana will be cheering loudly for Illinois. I don't think the Arizona fans will be all that invested in the winner of the first game. (Except for the family of 2025, Mr. Indiana Basketball Award winner, UConn hero Braylon Mullins, who played his high school basketball thirty minutes away from The Luke.)

Also, no matter what B12 commissioner Brett Yormark has to say, the Big Ten was the deepest conference in college basketball in 2026. Both Illinois and Michigan played more difficult schedules than Arizona and UConn.

One more thing that should favor Michigan, Arizona is a young team. Michigan has an impressive group of Seniors on the team.

https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/michigan-basketball-seniors-x-factor-100906720.html

This has been the Big Ten's tournament to date. I hope it lasts with an All B1G title game.

Nice read Darren. From many of my previous comments, anyone can pretty much tell I’m on the same page.

While there is no questioning the importance of the current conference realignments to the survival or extinction of many programs, it remains an agreement of utility, and not heart.

For me, the importance of place will always trump the convenience of programs with nothing else in common other than the pursuit of money, wins and power.