Men’s NCAA Tournament Final Four: #1 Kansas, #2 Duke, #2 Villanova & #8 North Carolina
Here we go. From 68 to 4… A March Madness for the underdogs turned quickly over the weekend, and the bluest-blooded Final Four of all-time is set for next weekend. Endless storylines from the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 captured our attention, but the biggest Final Four storyline is a no-brainer — the first-ever meeting between Duke and North Carolina in NCAA Tournament history. Head coach Mike Krzyzewski made history, and four iconic programs are heading to New Orleans. Let’s run it back to see how we got here.
West: #2 Duke def. #4 Arkansas (78-69)
The Blue Devils took care of #3 Texas Tech and #4 Arkansas over the weekend to punch their ticket to Coach K’s record-setting 13th Final Four. Coach K breaks a tie with John Wooden (12) for the most Final Fours, and he does it in his final season. Duke held Arkansas at arm’s length on Saturday night (78-69) with a 54-percent shooting performance and a glass-cleaning clinic. All five Duke starters combined for 69 of the team’s 78 points. Next up: UNC. The Tar Heels beat Duke on March 5 (94-81), but how about this storyline for Coach K’s last dance?
South: #2 Villanova def. #5 Houston (50-44)
Saturday’s South Region final was a low-scoring defensive grinder, but Villanova got it done. Both teams shot below 30 percent, and Houston went just 1-for-20 from 3-point range en route to their lowest offensive outing of the season. Villanova’s Jermaine Samuels went for 16 points and 10 boards in the regional final. The Wildcats and Jay Wright are heading back to the Final Four for the fourth time in 13 years. They won the National Championship each of their last two trips (2016 & 2018). And as unbelievable as this sounds, ‘Nova had to beat Kansas in the regional final or national semifinal before winning both of those titles.
Midwest: #1 Kansas def. #10 Miami (76-50)
The first of two blowouts on Sunday was a second-half blitz by the top-seed Kansas. Miami actually led KU at halftime (35-29), but the Jayhawks ran roughshod on the Hurricanes in the second half (47-15). Kansas was the only 1-seed left in the Elite 8, and they’re heading to their 16th Final Four. Head coach Bill Self will make his fourth Final Four appearance in 19 seasons. His Jayhawks have one championship (2008) when they beat Memphis. Their Final Four matchup with Villanova will be a rematch of the 2018 National Semifinal when ‘Nova won it all (95-79).
East: #8 North Carolina def. #15 Saint Peter’s (69-49)
The underdogs from the East Region are the only surefire surprise of the Final Four. North Carolina was the first team to wrangle the Peacocks of Saint Peter’s and end their magnificent Cinderella story. Saint Peter’s shocked the world again on Friday with a narrow win over #3 Purdue (67-64), but the run stopped there. Sunday’s regional final was never close as UNC jumped out to a 27-9 lead and never looked back. Carolina’s Armando Bacot took advantage of the size mismatch, pouring in a 22-point, 22-rebound game as he blasted the Peacocks in the post. In his first year, Hubert Davis takes Carolina back to the Final Four. He played in the Final Four with UNC in 1991. It’s UNC’s 21st Final Four — the most all-time in NCAA Tournament history.
Fun Fact: Coach K won his first National Championship with Duke in 1991. Both North Carolina and Kansas were part of that Final Four, as well as UNLV.
Men’s Final Four Schedule
#2 Duke vs. #8 North Carolina (Sat. TBD)
#1 Kansas vs. #2 Villanova (Sat. TBD)
National Championship (Mon. TBD)
Additional Storylines
B/R: Coach K’s Farewell Tour Will Get New Orleans Send Off in Final Four for the Ages
ESPN: North Carolina Cruises to Final Four, Sets Up Colossal Clash With Rival Duke
USA Today: Get Ready for Blue Blood Final Four; Saint Peter’s Runs Out of Gas
NCAA: 11 Amazing Plot Lines for a Final Four That's a Gift From Basketball Gods
