The Final Four in Indianapolis may not be for another six weeks, but Saturday’s featured double-header could very well be an early preview. Heck, given the randomness of the NCAA Tournament, it may end up being a better slate outright.
(Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
No. 4 Arizona at No. 2 Houston
The afternoon starts with No. 4 Arizona Wildcats traveling to No. 2 Houston Cougars, and the Wildcats look to avoid a third loss in four games. On the flip side, Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars look to avoid a second straight loss themselves after falling to No. 6 Iowa State in Ames on Monday. Houston is currently a 5.5-point spread favorite at the time of publishing, up from 3.5 points at opening.
Considering the fact that both of Arizona’s losses have come by a combined seven points, it’s somewhat eye-opening that Vegas is siding with Houston so decidedly.
Aside from their loss on Monday, Houston has largely been rounding into form as a team that can quite plausibly reach its second consecutive national title game. Even if they fall short, you can make a serious case this year’s team is better than last 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 overall in June’s NBA Draft by most outlets, wasn’t even the most coveted recruit in Houston’s freshman class this season when the season began. That would be Chris Cenac, who was the sixth-ranked recruit in the nation and is likely a first-round pick himself despite being largely outshone by Flemings this season.
Arizona also has a near-perfect complementary pairing of elite freshman talent and high-level upperclassmen, which has historically served teams well in the postseason. Freshman phenom Koa Peat will almost certainly join Houston’s Flemings and Cenac as a first-round selection in June and was even an early National Player of the Year candidate after a fast start before tapering off a bit.
Although Peat is still playing at a high level, the backcourt combination of freshman Brayden Burries and senior Jaden Bradley has become the engine that powers Arizona down the stretch.
Adjust your calendars, the Final Four is not on April 4th.
It’s this Saturday February 21st. pic.twitter.com/RSTH20ltAC
— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) February 16, 2026
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 3 Duke
The main event of the afternoon, if you will, is a highly anticipated matchup between No. 1 Michigan Wolverines and No. 3 Duke Blue Devils. The matchup, being held in Washington, D.C., will almost certainly determine who tops the upcoming AP Poll on Monday morning, which Duke is looking to claim for the first time this season. The likelihood of that actually coming to fruition, given Michigan’s level of play as of late? Maybe not as high as the Dukies would like to think.
Save for an uncharacteristic slip-up against Wisconsin at the top of Big Ten play, Michigan has been borderline unstoppable regardless of who the opponent is. The Wolverines have coasted through arguably the toughest conference in college basketball, beating ranked opponents such as No. 5 Nebraska, No. 7 Michigan State, and No. 7 Purdue. Not to mention, they trounced No. 24 USC by 30 points and beat No. 12 Gonzaga by 40 in non-conference play at the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas.
Still, this Duke team is also a group that’s teetering on the edge of being a historic power. Freshman phenom Cameron Boozer is all but guaranteed to take consensus National Player of the Year honors, ranking fourth in the nation in scoring (22.8 PPG) while leading Duke in rebounds per game (10.0), assists per game (3.9), and steals per game (1.7). Although Duke has slipped up twice this season while Michigan has slipped up just once, both of the Blue Devils’ losses came against ranked opponents either at a neutral site (vs. Texas Tech) or on the road (at North Carolina).
NCAA Game Info and Where To Watch (Saturday, Feb. 21)
No. 4 Arizona at No. 2 Houston
Venue: Fertitta Center
Time: 3 p.m. EST/noon PST
Network: ABC
Spread: Houston -5.5
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 3 Duke (in D.C.)
Venue: Capital One Center
Time: 6:30 p.m. EST/3:30 p.m. PST
Network: ESPN
Spread: Michigan -2.5
Editor’s Pick
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