The championship matchups are set in both the Phil Knight Legacy and Invitational brackets in Portland after two days jam-packed with basketball: Duke vs. Purdue and Iowa State vs. UConn. The two-court setup in the Rose Quarter makes this feel like the most important AAU tournament ever, and for the most part we’ve gotten high-level games to live up to the billing of being one of the season’s highest-profile events.
Naturally, the championship matchups in both fields aren’t what one might have projected coming in, thanks to No. 1 North Carolina going down Friday afternoon and No. 6 Gonzaga losing Friday night. Still, these championship games have plenty of intrigue attached and will likely shape the way teams are viewed until at least conference play. Plus, who’s saying no to Gonzaga vs. Xavier and Alabama vs. North Carolina in the third-place games?
Here’s a look at what to expect from Sunday’s title games.
