Throughout the NCAA Tournament, Mike DeCourcy (Sporting News/Fox/Big Ten Network) and I have been breaking down the NCAA men’s basketball brackets region by region. Now we are down to the Final Four this Saturday in Indianapolis.

Illinois plays UConn at 6:09 pm Saturday. Arizona and Michigan square off at 8:54 pm. The winners face each other in the national title game Monday night.

To conclude our weekly look at March Madness, here are our four most interesting storylines from the Final Four.

Illinois is a 1.5-point favorite over UConn. Should it be?

I was surprised when the line came out at BetRivers.com and the No. 3-seed Illini were 2.5-point favorites over second-seeded Connecticut.

I figured that line would come down, given UConn’s name recognition and recent Final Four success. The Huskies won the title in 2023 and ‘24. That has happened to a degree. The line shifted a point. But I wouldn’t be surprised if even more late money comes in on the Huskies.

Not to mention, I think they’ll win.

DeCourcy disagrees.

“Illinois is a more complete team and has more options, more size. They have the best player in the game in Keaton Wagler, their freshman point guard (17.9 points per game). They have a lot of things going for them,” DeCourcy said. “If you are looking at the Final Four, there’s no doubt in my mind that the best (gambling) value for the championship would be Illinois (plus-450).”

I see the point, but I’ll take an even bigger swing at UConn if I want to play the longer odds. The Huskies are plus-650 to win the whole thing.

However, I think Arizona is the best team.

Karaban can

If UConn wins, that’ll be three titles in four years for the Huskies as a team, and for senior forward Alex Karaban as an individual.

Should that happen, DeCourcy points out that Karaban would become the first player to play for a coach besides John Wooden to accomplish that feat.

“It’s an amazing opportunity for him,” DeCourcy said. “I would go with Illinois. Especially at the (spread) you’re talking about. Not a lot to give. If they win, they’re more than likely to do it by more than that. I just feel like Illinois is the superior team. But if you fear the Dan Hurley factor — because he’s done it so many times now — then I totally respect that. How do you speak against it after what we’ve just seen in the last three weeks?”

Karaban has 1,854 points and 743 rebounds in 148 career games with UConn. His career record with the Huskies is 125-27.

X-factor

DeCourcy thinks one of the biggest variables on Final Four weekend could be the play of UConn’s Braylon Mullins. He’s the player who hit the miracle shot against Duke to win that epic Elite Eight game.

However, Mullins hasn’t been at the top of his game in the tournament, missing 19 of his 24 three-point shots.

“Braylon Mullins needs to be special to win the biggest games. He hasn’t been, and they’re still here. Except for that one, five-or-seven-second moment on Sunday, he hasn’t been. He’s an outstanding talent. He’s going to be a high NBA draft pick. If he stays and gets better and then goes into a much less crowded draft, he’ll be a very prominent pick. But he hasn’t been good in the tournament. He made that big shot, but the fact that they’re able to win four games without him being good is just amazing,” DeCourcy said. “Tarris Reed Jr. has been fantastic inside, and he’s going to be a challenge for Illinois, but Illinois has so many bodies to throw at him.”

Reid averages just under 15 points per game. But in the NCAA Tournament, he’s at 21.7.

‘Cats’ meow

On the other side of the bracket, Michigan and Arizona both won their regions as No. 1 seeds.

DeCourcy has been driving the Arizona bus since the start of the tournament. Will he stay behind the wheel even against the mighty Wolverines?

“They’re both playing phenomenally. And I do believe that, still, Arizona is the superior team. But Michigan (35-3) has a gear that no one else has — even Arizona (36-2). Michigan’s top gear, their best, their ‘A’ game, is better than anybody’s. So it’s Arizona’s first job on Saturday to keep Michigan out of its ‘A’ game.”

Michigan’s average margin of victory over four NCAA games has been 22.5 points. Arizona’s has been 20.5.

The Wildcats are underdogs by 1 ½ points. They haven’t lost since Valentine’s Day. That was in overtime to Texas Tech.

Michigan’s most recent defeat came in the Big Ten title game to Purdue, 80-72. Arizona just beat the Boilermakers in the Elite Eight, 79-64.

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I’ve also got the Wildcats winning the whole thing.

LISTEN: Tim Benz and Mike DeCourcy preview the Final Four.