NCAA: Final Four How They Got There

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How They Got There

The 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four is set to take place in San Antonio, Texas, at the Alamodome. This year's Final Four features four teams that have overcome incredible odds and delivered captivating performances throughout the regular season and the March Madness tournament. The teams – Duke, Houston, Auburn, and Florida – each have unique paths to the Final Four, distinct reasons for being there, and crucial players that could serve as the X-factors in their quest for the national championship.

Duke Blue Devils

Duke's road to the Final Four began with a successful regular season under third-year head coach Jon Scheyer. Led by sensational freshman Cooper Flagg, The Blue Devils ran through the ACC, going 19-1 in the conference with the lone loss coming to Clemson on the road. Not only did they go 19-1, they accumulated the highest point differential in ACC history at -434. They were arguably the most dominant ACC team of all time. Now obviously you have to include the strength of the conferences and what not but at face value, they are up there.

In the NCAA Tournament, they blitzed Mt. St Mary’s in the first round, blitzed a decent Baylor squad in the second round, got tested by Arizona in the Sweet 16 and handled Alabama in the Elite Eight. The knock is going to be about how none of those teams are super elite defensively or at least at the level of Houston, who they will be playing in the final four, but Duke plays who is in front of them, and these teams aren’t slouches. Duke is flying into the Final Four feeling good about their chances, even against a physical, veteran Houston team.

Houston Cougars

Ever since entering the big 12 two years ago, Houston, coached by Kelvin Sampson, had a standout regular season in the Big 12 conference. They were the big 12 regular season champions as well as big 12 tournament champions, earning them a one sood in the NCAA tournament. They finished atop their conference standings and boasted the nation’s top defense. Not only was the defense on point all season long, so was the three-point shooting, as the Cougars finished fourth nationally in three-point percentage at 39.7 percent. That has carried over to the NCAA tournament, which they have shot 39.1 percent through 4 games.

Houston's March Madness journey was a testament to their defensive identity. They held their four opponents to 31, 10, 17 and 24 points below their season averages. That is remarkable. In the first two rounds, they easily handled SIUE and survived a late push from Gonzaga. In the later two rounds they beat Purdue off an excellent baseline out of bounds game winner by guard Milo’s Uzan and comfortably beat Tennessee in the Elite 8. They will need that defensive intensity against an ultra efficient Duke offense.

Auburn Tigers

Auburn had a dominant regular season up until about the final week, where they lost back to back games against Texas A@M and Alabama. Outside of that one week though, they were the best team in the nation pretty much from start to finish. They had the toughest SOS in the nation and answered that by coming out of it with a mind blowing 16 quad one wins. And produced arguably the best player in college basketball in the process in Johni Broome. proceeded to the SEC tournament where they fell to Tennessee in the championship game, still securing the number one overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

During the tournament, Auburn defeated Alabama State in the first round, took care of Creighton team in the second round, beat an impressive Creighton team in the Sweet 16 and then survived an injury to the aforementioned Johni Broome and an overall tough matchup with Michigan State. What really, or who really, stood out about Auburn was freshman guard Tahaad Pettiford. Time after time, he would come up with big shot after big shot for the Tigers. The moment never looked too big for him. I expect him to continue to step up for the Tigers.

Florida Gators

Florida entered the NCAA tournament with a solid regular season, finishing third in the SEC on their way to accumulating. 11 quad one wins. They were led by first team All-American guard Walter Clayton Jr. and a bevy of skilled big men. This team is as deep and as well rounded as it gets, and they showed that in games against Tennessee and Auburn where they won by thirty and nine points, with the latter coming minus two way wing Alijah Martin. Their potential had always been evident, and they showed it throughout the season.It was their ability to perform when it mattered most that got them through the regular season yet still somewhat fly under the radar that got them through the regular season, and that carried over into March.

Florida’s March Madness journey has been, well, a journey, and, well, full of madness. After cruising past Norfolk State in the first round, they were faced with a two time defending national champion sized giant in the UConn Huskies, beating them by two with the help of some late game big-shot making by the aforementioned Walter Clayton Jr. In the Sweet 16 they beat a very good Maryland team and came back to beat a tough Texas Tech team thanks, again, to Big shot Walter late. Analysts went into the tournament saying that the West Region would be the toughest region to win, and it didn’t look like they were lying.

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