While it’s been 23 years since a team from the Grand Canyon State last played in the men’s Final Four, there’s no denying Arizonans will still have a vested interest in this year’s national semifinal.
With the event being held inside Glendale’s State Farm Stadium for the second time ever and thousands of hoops fans descending upon the Valley this week, there’s good reason to keep an eye on this weekend’s games, even as the Wildcats, Sun Devils, Antelopes and Lumberjacks watch from afar. The Final Four is also sure to jumpstart Arizona sports betting.
Alabama, North Carolina State, Purdue and UConn all have some semblance of a connection to the 48th State. The Crimson Tide look for their first title ever, while N.C. State looks to earn its first title in 31 years. Purdue aims for its first championship since capturing the Premo-Porretta title in 1932.
We used Google Trends search interest scores to compare Arizonans’ search volume for each of the four remaining teams in the NCAA Men’s March Madness. These results were tracked on a scale of 1-100 and from the start of the tournament (March 18) through April 1.
Arizona Rooting Interest in Final Four
In the Women’s Final Four, Arizona betting apps list South Carolina as the championship favorite at -200, followed by Iowa at +300.
Which Team is Arizona Cheering For?
Based on Google Trends search volume totals, the Boilermakers are the team Arizonans are pulling for the most this year, with a score of 27 to beat out the defending champs from Storrs, who have a score of 20.
With UConn coach Dan Hurley being the brother of ASU’s Bobby Hurley, there’s at least some sort of connection between Arizona and UConn, though the draw between the state and Purdue remains a mystery.
This year, Purdue did beat the Arizona Wildcats in Indianapolis, 92-84, which is about the only connection between the state and the team from West Lafayette. Arizona beat Alabama in Phoenix this season, 87-74.
For those looking to wager on Saturday’s games, oddsmakers at FanDuel Arizona currently list the Huskies as the dominating favorite to win it all, with UConn coming in at -185. Purdue is second at +190, followed by Alabama (+1300) and N.C. State (+2000).
USA Today photo by Junfu Han.
