Illinois' Defense, Top Seeds' Net Efficiency Shine in Final Four

Illini's stifling defense, Michigan and Arizona's historic offensive efficiency set up intriguing Final Four matchups

Mar. 30, 2026 at 9:51pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the action of a college basketball game, with the players' forms broken down into abstracted, angular shapes and the court and arena fading into the background.The Final Four matchups will showcase the contrasting strengths of the remaining teams, with Illinois' stifling defense meeting UConn's high-powered offense, and Michigan's historic offensive efficiency facing off against Arizona.Chicago Today

When the Illini beat Iowa on Saturday night to punch their ticket to the Final Four in Indianapolis, fans everywhere started making plans for watching the game against UConn. Illinois' defense has been the standout in the NCAA Tournament, allowing just .976 points per possession. Meanwhile, Michigan and Arizona have been part of college basketball's top tier all year with elite play at both ends of the court, and they've been even sharper at the offensive end in the tournament, posting some of the best net-efficiency rankings ever recorded.

Why it matters

The Final Four features a clash of contrasting styles, with Illinois' stifling defense taking on UConn's high-powered offense, while Michigan and Arizona's historic offensive efficiency will be put to the test against each other. The outcome could come down to which teams can get out in transition to avoid tussling with set halfcourt defenses.

The details

Illinois (28-8) entered the NCAA Tournament ranked second in KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency but just 28th in defense. Yet the South Region champion's defense has allowed just .976 points per possession in the tournament, leading the remaining four teams. The Illini have done it with the nation's tallest roster, including several European players. UConn (33-5), meanwhile, has scored on 52.2% of its possessions in the tournament. Michigan (35-3) has the most efficient offense of the Final Four teams, averaging 1.361 points per possession, while Arizona (36-2) is second at 1.341. The Wolverines and Wildcats rank 1-2 in overall KenPom, Evan Miyakawa, and Bart Torvik rankings, posting some of the best net-efficiency numbers ever recorded.

  • Illinois beat Iowa on Saturday night to punch their ticket to the Final Four.
  • The Final Four games will take place this weekend in Indianapolis.

The players

Brad Underwood

The head coach of the Illinois Fighting Illini.

Tomislav Ivisic

A 7-1 Croatian player on the Illinois roster.

Zvonimir Ivisic

A 7-2 Croatian player, twin brother of Tomislav, on the Illinois roster.

David Mirkovic

A 6-9 forward from Montenegro on the Illinois roster.

Kylan Boswell

A 6-2 senior guard and strong backcourt defender for Illinois.

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What they’re saying

“Positionally, they're just elite on top of being massive. You go to the Balkans to grab all these guys, and they're huge and they've also been well coached coming all the way up. The good part about being pretty gap-heavy is the fact that if you're huge, you can still get out to shooters.”

— Terrence Oglesby, Analyst, ESPN and Field of 68

“He does a lot of free-flow offense. He has certain sets, but the sets aren't necessarily for shots. It's just for movement, just to get the defense out of their shell, and then attack off those mistakes.”

— Yaxel Lendeborg, Star player, Michigan Wolverines

What’s next

The Final Four games will take place on Saturday, April 5th, with Illinois facing UConn and Michigan taking on Arizona. The winners will advance to the national championship game on Monday, April 7th.

The takeaway

The Final Four features a clash of contrasting styles, with Illinois' stifling defense taking on UConn's high-powered offense, while Michigan and Arizona's historic offensive efficiency will be put to the test against each other. The outcome could come down to which teams can get out in transition and avoid tussling with set halfcourt defenses.