Final Four live updates, scores: Follow Arizona vs. Michigan; UConn tops Illinois, moves on to NCAA tournament championship

Tommy Lloyd has coached Arizona to its first Final Four since 2001, and he’s sticking round for the lengthy haul after signing a contract extension this week regardless of being courted by North Carolina.

Dan Wolken breaks down why Lloyd chose to stay

Here’s our breakdown of gamers to watch, keys to the sport and what to look ahead to tonight.

What to watch in Arizona vs. Michigan

In some ways, the second recreation of tonight’s Final Four slate is the primary occasion because it pits two dominant No. 1 seeds towards one another.

These two groups seem like one of the best within the nation, and it feels extra like a nationwide title matchup, writes Yahoo’s Dan Wolken.

The Illini scored 61 in a 13-point loss to UConn in November. Tonight, Illinois may do only one level higher.

The Illini by no means scored fewer than 65 factors in another recreation. That 65-point output got here within the Sweet 16 in a 10-point win over Houston.

Illinois had at the least 70 factors in each different recreation this season.

Whew. Danny Hurley and the Huskies had to sweat that one out a bit, however they’re transferring on to the title recreation the place they will play for his or her third title in 4 years.

Tarris Reed Jr. led UConn with 17 factors and 11 rebounds. Braylon Mullins added 15 regardless of going chilly within the second half. Silas Demary had 7 factors, 9 rebounds and seven assists for the Huskies.

Keaton Wagler had 20 factors and eight rebounds for the Illini; Tomislav Ivisic had 16 and seven.

The Huskies have made a couple of free throws and Keaton Wagler missed a 3-point try on the opposite finish. UConn is in nice form now.

The Huskies nonetheless have a 4-point lead with 43 seconds left after the 2 freshmen traded treys.

The Illini are very a lot on this factor with simply over 1:30 left to play after a troublesome end on the rim by Keaton Wagler.

The recreation simply picked up to a frenetic tempo as the 2 groups traded photographs and turnovers and it is a 5-point recreation with slightly below 3 minutes left.

We’re underneath the 5-minute mark and UConn has missed its final seven photographs. They desperately want Tarris Reed to re-engage down the stretch.

UConn has stored Illinois at arm’s size for many of the recreation, nevertheless it’s a 57-51 recreation with simply over 6 minutes left.

We have a ballgame shaping up in Indy of us!

Will it matter? The Illini have an incredible probability to preserve chipping away on the lead from the free throw line assuming the officers preserve calling the sport so carefully within the second half.

The UConn guard hasn’t carried out a bunch, however he’s headed to the bench with a fourth foul.

It’s nonetheless a 10-point lead for the Huskies and the Illini are beginning to put a full-court press on. There’s 8 minutes left within the recreation.

We’re within 12 minutes now and the Huskies nonetheless have a 10-point lead. The Illini desperately want any person aside from Keaton Wagler to make a shot. He has 14 factors and the remainder of the staff is taking pictures 31% from the sector.

UConn 52, Illinois 42 | 11:49 left

We’re contained in the 14-minute mark now and the Huskies nonetheless have a double-digit lead. They’ve been taking good care of the ball, as evidenced by the truth that they didn’t have a turnover till simply now.

It’s now an understatement to say this recreation has been known as tighter within the second half. There have been 14 whole fouls within the first half.

Wagler is 5-of-9 from the sector and has 14 factors. His Illinois teammates are 7-of-23.

Now Braylon Mullins has a 3rd foul. The refs are calling this recreation quite a bit tighter within the second half.

David Mirkovic has been a monster defensively for the Illini to this point however he simply picked up his third foul with 17:40 left within the recreation.