Final Four Preview: Who Will Advance?
The NCAA Tournament has officially reached the Final Four, and while some fans might feel underwhelmed by the The NCAA Tournament has officially reached the Final Four, and while some fans might feel underwhelmed by the chalky bracket so far (all four #1 seeds made it), there’s no doubt we’re in for elite matchups and high-level hoops. Not every team has looked equally dominant on their path to this point, but each one earned their spot — and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Let’s take a closer look at the two heavyweight matchups and how we see them playing out:
(1) Auburn vs. (1) Florida
Auburn entered the tournament as a trendy pick to cut down the nets — even though they had the worst record of the #1 seeds. Now they face a surging Florida Gators squad that’s gotten better each round and features one of the breakout stars of March.
Walter Clayton Jr., Florida’s senior point guard, has been electric — averaging over 22 points per game, shooting lights out, and consistently delivering in big moments. His play will be key if the Gators are going to keep up with an Auburn team that’s scored 70+ in every tournament game so far.
Florida also leans on Thomas Haugh, a 6’9″ sophomore forward who’s been quietly impactful with tough buckets and timely rebounds.
Auburn, meanwhile, is led by Johni Broome, one of the best bigs in college basketball. He’s been dominant on the glass — double-digit boards in every game — and just dropped 25 points on 10-for-13 shooting against Michigan State. The Tigers also have backcourt help in Denver Jones, but overall their scoring has been streaky and less efficient than Florida’s.
Defensively, Florida has an edge. They’ve forced double-digit turnovers in every tourney game, and their by-committee rebounding — with multiple 6’10″+ bodies — gives them a real shot at slowing down Broome.
For Auburn to win, their guards will need to get hot. For Florida, the formula is simpler: let Clayton cook, control the paint, and force turnovers.
Pick: Florida Gators
(1) Duke vs. (1) Houston
On the other side of the bracket, we’ve got what should be a heavyweight battle… but honestly, this one feels a bit tilted.
Duke has been on a tear. Led by freshman phenom Cooper Flagg, they’ve been the most dominant team in the tournament — winning every game but one by double digits, shooting over 50%, and keeping turnovers low. This team looks ready.
Flagg has been everything he was hyped to be – 19.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 5 APG — all while defending at a high level. The 6’9″ forward is a true three-level threat and a playmaker on both ends. He’s looking like the best player in the country, and he’s not alone.
Tyrese Proctor and Kon Knueppel have provided steady backcourt scoring and perimeter shooting, keeping Duke efficient and balanced.
As for Houston, it’s been a rockier road. They barely survived against Purdue in the Sweet 16 (won on a buzzer-beater layup) and haven’t shown the ability to pull away from teams — until they dismantled Tennessee in the Elite Eight.
But the Cougars rely heavily on three-point shooting, and that’s going to be a problem against Duke’s long, switchable defense. They don’t draw fouls often, and they’ve had foul trouble themselves throughout the tournament.
This one feels like a mismatch — unless Houston catches absolute fire, Duke should control this one from start to finish.
Pick: Duke Blue Devils
