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Inside The Wildcats

This X-Factor Will Determine Arizona's Fate in Final Four

The Wildcats will take on Michigan Saturday in the Final Four.
Caleb Meadows|
Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

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Arizona Wildcats

Arizona will play Michigan Saturday evening in the Final Four. This matchup will take place in Indianapolis, the same location where the Wildcats won their only National Championship. Some may say it is meant to be this season.

The Wolverines have been one of the top teams all season and will pose a tall task for the Wildcats to knock off. Each team earned a No. 1 seed in its respective region. With these two teams being the only No. 1 seeds left, the public is saying this is the national championship game before the official one.

Wildcats Have Owned the Paint

Head coach Tommy Lloyd has built a fantastic roster, but the Wolverines are no slouch either. This game will ultimately come down to the bigs and the painted area. It will be an all-out war on the court.

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Christine Tannous/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Wildcats pride themselves on being physical and stronger than their opponent. They have dominated the points in the paint and have been the best rebounding team all tournament. The one problem is that the Wolverines are physical as well.

X-Factor: Physicality and Size

Not very many players are listed taller than Motiejus Krivas in the country, but Wolverines center Aday Mara is. He is listed at 7-foot-3, giving him an inch on Krivas. The junior center will be a key factor in this game because he is one of the few who can cause problems for Krivas and Koa Peat.

Mara is averaging 13.5 points, five rebounds, and three blocks in the tournament. If Mara can slow down Krivas and Peat, this will force the Wildcats to play more on the perimeter. That is exactly what Purdue did in the Elite Eight: they had the lead at halftime and made the Wildcats look lost.

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Morez Johnson Jr. and Yaxel Lendeborg are Mara’s running mates down low. Both are listed at 6-foot-9. As you can see, the Wolverines have a lot of size in their starting lineup. The Wildcats are a big team, but the Wolverines actually have the edge in the frontcourt.

Lendeborg has been terrific this tournament, as he is averaging 21 points a game, which is six more points than his regular-season average. He has almost been a force on the boards, grabbing seven a game.

Johnson has pitched in as well, with 14 points and eight rebounds across the NCAA Tournament. This will be the biggest test the Wildcats have faced all tournament. The Wolverines may shock them initially with their size, as the Wildcats are used to being much bigger than their opponent.

The key in this game will be who controls the paint and who can play physical without fouling. The Wildcats have the stats to back it up, but the Wolverines are bigger up front. It will be a true test to see which No. 1 seed is best left.

This is one of the most hyped-up Final Four matchups in a while, and it all goes down Saturday night in Indianapolis.

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Caleb Meadows
CALEB MEADOWS

Caleb Meadows is a contributor to the UNC Tar Heels. He previously covered Louisville sports and WWE for FanSided. Meadows also covered local sports in Oklahoma while attending Oklahoma State, where he earned a degree in sports communications. Follow him on X, at @CalebMeadows25."