Overview
- No. 2 Houston hosts No. 4 Arizona at 3 p.m. ET on ABC, followed by No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 3 Duke at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN at Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena.
- Arizona announced freshman standout Koa Peat will miss the Houston game with a lower‑leg injury, a development that factors into matchup assessments.
- CBS Sports notes Michigan and Duke rank 1–2 in Wins Above Bubble and the NET, with the winner viewed as leading the race for the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed.
- After UConn’s loss to Creighton and Houston’s defeat at Iowa State, bracket projections now commonly place Michigan, Duke, Arizona and Houston on the top line, with debate lingering over Houston vs. Iowa State for the fourth slot.
- Betting markets have Michigan as the national title favorite at +450 (bet365 as of mid‑February), with Arizona, Duke and Houston next on the board.