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The Final Four is set for Saturday night in Indianapolis as Michigan, Arizona, Illinois and UConn all battle to reach the national championship game scheduled for Monday at Lucas Oil Stadium.
But only one of those four teams will emerge as NCAA Tournament champions, and one college basketball legend already has his pick for who will cut down the nets on Monday night.
Jimmer Fredette, the BYU big man who had his “One Shining Moment” in March Madness back in 2011, has followed the intense plays throughout the tournament to get to this point. He knows exactly who he’s running with the rest of the way.
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Former Brigham Young basketball player Jimmer Fredette waves during a ceremony to retire his number at halftime of a game between the Cougars and the Colorado Buffaloes at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, on February 14, 2026. (Chris Gardner/Getty Images)
“I honestly have Michigan right now. I have Michigan winning it all,” he told Pakinomist Digital in a recent interview while highlighting his partnership with Coca-Cola and their “Fan Work Is Thirsty Work” campaign for the tournament.
It’s hard not to love everything that the No. 1 seed from the Midwest region has put together in this tournament. The Wolverines, led by head coach Dusty May in his second season, have simply dominated the competition they have faced thus far.
In fact, Michigan has won by double digits in each of their four tournament games, including a rout of No. 6 Tennessee, 95-62, in the Elite Eight to clinch a spot in the Final Four. They are led by forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who averaged 15.2 points this season but is averaging 25 points per game. competition here in the tournament.
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“I just think their length and size is so unique,” Fredette explained. “They can play a lot of different ways, but it just presents a real problem for people, especially in the tournament. It’s hard to game plan on one game. Obviously, they haven’t lost a lot of games this year, and if they did lose a game, it was very close. You know when you play them, it’s going to be a game. It’s going to be a game.”
Fredette added that May practice in the Final Four previously with Florida Atlantic University (2023) will also play a key factor for the Wolverines.
Yaxel Lendeborg of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after being fouled and scored in the second half of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Elite Eight game against the Tennessee Volunteers at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., March 29, 2026. Michigan won 95-62. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)
But Arizona, the No. 1 seed from the West Region, could match up well against Michigan on Saturday night. While Michigan has lost just three games this season, the Wildcats have lost just two in a tough Big 12 Conference schedule.
As Fredette sees it, this Final Four matchup is basically a national championship game before the game itself.
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“Arizona is playing great right now,” he said. “In my opinion, it’s kind of a national championship game with those two teams. They’re big, they’re long, they’re athletic. They play great basketball. But you never know.”
As for the other matchup — No. 2 UConn, which pulled off a thrilling finish to upset No. 1 Duke, and No. 3 Illinois — Fredette has a winner there, too.
“Obviously, UConn and Illinois are both playing well. I think Illinois, in my opinion, is going to beat UConn, and I think it’s going to be Illinois and Michigan in the finals and Michigan wins it all. So we’ll see. I’m probably going to be completely wrong. That’s how it works in this tournament. But that’s what I see, you can play some of Michigan’s best basketball players.”
3×3 basketball athlete Jimmer Fredette speaks during the Team USA Media Summit at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City on April 17, 2024. (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images for USOPC)
As Fredette said, the tournament finds a way to make the craziest things happen on a basketball court, living up to the March Madness name.
It will be UConn-Illinois to begin the festivities in Indianapolis on Saturday night at 7 p.m. 6:09 p.m. ET, followed by Michigan-Arizona.
THE PERFECT CUP FOR MARCH
From buzzer-beaters to overtime thrillers, this year’s men’s tournament has had it all in terms of edge-of-your-seat intense basketball. But it can be thirsty work for fans across the country, which is why Coca-Cola launched its “Fan Work is Thirsty Work” campaign, which celebrates the fans behind the tournament’s Cinderella stories.
Who doesn’t love the feel-good, Cinderella story of the tournament? While there may still be top seeds left in the bracket, moments like High Point upsetting Wisconsin in the first round, VCU shocking UNC in overtime, and more have really fueled this year’s fun in March.
The Coca-Cola Glass Sipper is a true size 11 basketball sneaker-shaped cup meant to embrace March Madness in this year’s tournament. (Coca-Cola)
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And to make sure fans enjoy Coca-Cola the right way, the brand introduced the “Coca-Cola Glass Sipper,” an ode to the famous children’s story, a custom size 11 basketball sneaker-shaped cup to celebrate the team and fan base whose tournament journey most defies expectations.
“That’s what March Madness is about — it’s about the energy, and that’s what Coca-Cola wants to have in their campaign,” Fredette said. “They want to capture how much fans put into every game, and for me, I love the fans. I love playing in front of packed crowds. They were rowdy, they had such loyalty to their schools, and that obviously carries over into the March Madness tournament. Everyone is a part of it because everyone fills out a bracket. They want to see the Cinderella stories. They want to see their stories. [and] they will choose the right Cinderella. Coke will catch it.”
