Jimmer Fredette explains why he thinks Michigan will win NCAA Tournament

The Final Four will be held in Indianapolis on Saturday night; Michigan, Arizona, Illinois and UConn will compete to reach the national championship game, scheduled for Monday at Lucas Oil Stadium.

But only one of those four teams will emerge as the NCAA Tournament champion, and one college basketball legend has already made his choice on who will cut down the nets on Monday night.

BYU star Jimmer Fredette, who had a “Shining Moment” during March Madness in 2011, followed intense matches throughout the tournament to get to this point. He knows exactly who to ride the rest of the way.

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“Honestly, I’ve got Michigan right now. Michigan wins it all,” he told Fox News Digital in a recent interview while highlighting his partnership with Coca-Cola and the “Fan Work is Thirsty Work” campaign for the tournament.

It’s hard not to love everything the Midwest Region’s No. 1 seed has put together in this tournament. Led by head coach Dusty May in their second season, the Wolverines have managed to dominate the competition they have faced thus far.

In fact, Michigan won by double digits in each of its four tournament games, including a 95-62 rout of No. 6-seeded Tennessee in the Elite Eight to clinch a berth in the Final Four. They are led by forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who is averaging 15.2 points this season but is scoring 25 points per game in the tournament.

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“I think their length and size are very unique,” ​​Fredette explained. “They can play a lot of different ways, but that’s a real problem for people, especially in tournaments. It’s hard to game plan on a game-by-game basis. Obviously, they haven’t lost many games this year, and if they’ve lost a game it’s been very close. When you play against them, you know it’s going to be a fight. It’s going to be a fight.”

Fredette added that coaching in May, previously at Florida Atlantic University (2023) in the Final Four, will also play a major factor for the Wolverines.

Yaxel Lendeborg of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after being fouled and scoring a goal during the second half of an NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Elite Eight game against the Tennessee Volunteers at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois on March 29, 2026. Michigan won 95-62. (Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images)

But Arizona, the No. 1 seed in the West Region, could match up well with Michigan on Saturday night. Michigan has lost just three games this season, while the Wildcats have lost just two games in a tough Big 12 Conference schedule.

According to Fredette, this Final Four matchup is essentially a national championship matchup before the actual game.

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“Arizona is playing great right now,” he said. “I think it’s like a national championship game between these 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 coming off a thrilling finish by upsetting No. 1 Duke and No. 3 Illinois — Fredette has a winner there, too.

“Obviously, UConn and Illinois are playing well. I think Illinois is going to beat UConn, and I think it’s going to be Illinois and Michigan in the finals, and Michigan is going to win it all. We’ll see. I’ll probably be completely wrong. That’s the way it works in this tournament. But that’s what I’m seeing right now, and Michigan is playing some of the best basketball you can play.”

3×3 basketball athlete Jimmer Fredette speaks at the Team USA Media Summit at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on April 17, 2024 in New York City. (Dustin Satloff/Getty Images for USOPC)

As Fredette said, the tournament has a way of making the craziest things happen on the basketball court, living up to its March Madness moniker.

The festivities in Indianapolis will kick off Saturday night with UConn-Illinois at 6:09 PM ET, followed by Michigan-Arizona.

THE PERFECT CUP FOR MARCH

This year’s men’s tournament has had it all in terms of intense, exciting basketball, from thrilling moments to overtime thrillers. But this could be thirsty business for fans across the country; that’s why Coca-Cola launched the “Fans’ Work is Thirsty Work” campaign, celebrating the fans behind the tournament’s Cinderella stories.

Who doesn’t love the feel-good Cinderella story of the tournament? While there were still top seeds left in the bracket, moments like High Point upsetting Wisconsin in the first round, VCU shocking UNC in overtime, and more really added to the fun of this year’s March.

The Coca-Cola Glass Sipper is a life-size 11 basketball shoe-shaped glass that aims to embrace March Madness in this year’s tournament. (Coca Cola)

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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; This was a special trophy in the shape of a size 11 basketball shoe to celebrate the team and fan base whose tournament journey defied expectations the most.

“That’s what March Madness is about; it’s about energy, and that’s what Coca-Cola wants to have in its campaign,” Fredette said. “They want to capture how much the fans bring to every game, and for me, I love the fans. I love playing in front of a big crowd. They were loud, they were very committed to their school, and that obviously carries over to the March Madness tournament. Everybody’s a part of it because everyone fills out a bracket. They want to see Cinderella stories. They want to see their bracket do well, [and] They want to choose the right Cinderella. Coca-Cola wants to capture this.”

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