THE TAKE
Final Four Saturday, one of my favorite days of the year. Think Illinois gets the better of UCONN and Michigan has too much size for Arizona. Give me the all Big Ten final. Fade or Follow @HardRockBet #HRBPartner
BOLDNESS
55/100
GRADE
18/100
PLAYERS / TEAMS
None tagged
GRADING CRITERIA
TRUE IF
both Illinois defeats UConn AND Michigan defeats Arizona in their respective Final Four games on or around April 5, 2026, resulting in an Illinois vs. Michigan national championship matchup. Take is
FALSE IF
either UConn or Arizona wins their respective semifinal.
bold callflip risk
OUTCOME
CONFIRMED FALSECowherd's prediction was half right: Michigan did beat Arizona convincingly (91-73), validating the 'too much size' call. However, his Illinois pick was wrong — UConn defeated Illinois 71-62, with Braylon Mullins hitting a dagger 3 late in the game. The national championship game ended up being Michigan vs. UConn, not an all-Big Ten final.