For the second time in the history of the NCAA Tournament, the Final Four are all number one.
The 2024-25 college basketball season began, with 364 teams in Division I, of which 68 teams won the NCAA Tournament. These 68 were then trimmed into just four at the Final Four at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Basketball fans will be able to see four No. 1 seeds, and for the second time in March’s crazy history, Final 4 is made up of only top seeds, joining the 2008 tournament.
Saturday’s first matchup will be an All-Sec battle as Florida faces Auburn and a second Pit Duke vs Houston. How these two matchups collapsed, bringing the spots to the National Championship Game on Monday to the line.
Florida (34-4) vs Auburn (32-5)
While it was as great and historic as the SEC was this season, these two programs were cut short over the others. Auburn won the SEC regular season championship with a 15-3 conference record, but Florida won the Southeastern Conference tournament title, earning it for 10 consecutive games. The two matched once this season, and the Gators won at the time. One Tigers, 90-81, in the road game on February 8th.
However, the team is far more than the stars, as both the Gators and Tora rank in the top three Division I in offensive efficiency. But they achieved these lofty rankings in a variety of ways.
Florida ranks third in points per game (85.4) out of these 364 teams. The Gators get shots early in the shot clock, and without conversion, the team often grabs offensive rebounds.
Related Stories
Florida ranks 11th in the nation on offensive boards per game, often leading to an additional 3-point opportunity. Todd Golden’s team averaged three pointers per 9.9 games, and Auburn happened to allow at least nine three pointers, making it 1-3 compared to a 31-2 record with under eight players.
Duke (35-3) vs. Houston (34-4)
This matchup is a perfect contrast to style as Duke has a top-ranked attack from the country. Houston counters the first defense. The Blue Devils rolled in a 94-point differential, the ninth-best in history for a team entering the Final Four through the insanity of March 2025. Duke is also the fifth team in the last 20 years, shooting at least 50% off the field in the first four tournament games, and freshmen have empowered John Shayer’s team.
The Cooper Flag, which is projected to be the top overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, averages 18.9 points in the season, with the most recent final four-team freshmen since Carmelo Anthony against Syracuse in 2003, and Flag has plenty of help. The Big Man has incredibly converted 87% of field goal attempts in the tournament, making it a nightmare to face a Houston team with no rotation players taller than a 6-foot-8.
The same can be said about Houston’s defense for all the top-notch Duke crimes. 56.5 points are allowed per game in the NCAA Tournament. This was the least of all 68 teams, with the Cougars keeping all four March Madness opponents at least 10 points on a season average. This includes his second victory over Gonzaga, who boasts second place offense in college basketball, showing that Houston can put Crump on a highly efficient crime.
However, the Cougars are not just defense. It also ranks fifth in 39.7% beyond the Ark. Each of the team’s top three scorers has 41% or more connected from the deep, which could mitigate the benefits of Duke’s size in Paint. The Cougars also have the advantage not only Duke, but Florida and Auburn, which is geography. The Houston campus is less than 200 miles from the Alamodome, and local fans will be pulling fellow Texans as local fans hope to become the first team to win the National Championship in the Home State for the first time in 50 years (UCLA won in San Diego in 1975).
