Wassup y’all! Ya boy (it me, ya boy) is back with the Men’s Final Four Preview. The games are Saturday evening, starting at 6 p.m. Eastern and for the first time since 2008, all four number one seeds made it to the final weekend in college basketball. Let’s take a look at each of them.
Florida
Why They’ll Win
Sometimes, the best team just wins. Florida, at least since the beginning of 2025, has been one of the best teams in the country. They’ve been in the upper tier of championship caliber programs all year. And in a loaded SEC, it was Florida who finished on top, capturing the conference tournament crown. They’ve won ten in a row, including defeating last year’s champs UConn—a team with a ton of postseason resolve. Walter Clayton Jr. leads a Gators backcourt that can really shoot it. He’s proven that he can carry the responsibility of the team for stretches, even as the Gators are trying to mount comebacks after not playing their best. That matters in games where nerves are heightened and not everyone on the floor is an NBA-level player. Florida has a player who can rise above and deliver in the clutch, and the Tournament is made for heroes like Clayton Jr. to ascend to legendary status.
Why They Won’t
Florida’s ugliest loss of the season was a 64-44 drubbing at Tennessee. In that game, the Gators shot an abysmal 24.5% from the field—with much credit to the Volunteer defense, obviously. That game is likely more aberration than characteristic, but no team is impervious to bad shooting. They only played Saturday’s opponent Auburn once before this season, but that familiarity still accounts for something. The Tigers were also one of the best teams all year, so the game will come down to who performs better with higher expectations on the line. If Clayton Jr., Will Richard and the like struggle from distance, Florida’s title run could end before Monday night.
Duke
Why They’ll Win
Having the best pro prospect in the Tournament isn’t necessarily a guarantee to be playing for the title. While, for example, newly cemented first ballot Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse to the title in 2003 and Derrick Rose and Memphis did lose to Kansas in the 2008 Championship game, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant did not make it to the Final Four in 2007 and John Wall didn’t in 2009, despite having other pro players on their collegiate teams. It is difficult to carry a team to a title in college offensively, specifically because of the way zone defenses and coaches’ schemes can secretly limit the number of shots a star can get in a 40-minute game. But that does not mean one player cannot be impactful. Duke’s Cooper Flagg is that player. As the potential number one pick in this June’s NBA Draft, Flagg is certainly at the top end of the talent pool in college. Having him gives head coach Jon Scheyer’s crew an advantage in San Antonio. Flagg is every bit as good as advertised, with wing versatility in a 6’9” athletic frame. The depth of young talent Dune has, including Tyrese Proctor and fellow freshman lottery prospect Kon Knueppel, the Blue Devils can definitely beat any of these teams to cut down the nets. They’ve proven it by beating Auburn 84-78 back on December 4th.
Why They Won’t
Youth comes with a lot of perks. Youth brings an abundance of energy, a feeling of time on one’s hands, fewer moments of needing to stretch for hours before doing simple tasks. Youth is life. But youth rarely combines with experience and wisdom in a way that you can use it. Experience is a thing that can be gained after one needs it the most. Duke does not have much, college basketball experience on its roster, tournament experience. Going against other teams who both have more studied players and coaches could cost them in the intricate moments in close games. Could Duke overwhelm with their sheer talent and win both games by 20 and that lack of experience not matter? Sure. But these teams are all number one seeds—they’re the best of the best this year. It will be absolutely pertinent for the Blue Devils’ guards in particular to keep their composure this weekend.
Auburn
Why They’ll Win
There are experienced teams like Houston, and then there is the Auburn Tigers starting lineup. Everyone in is a senior, including 25-year-old Chad Baker-Mazara, who’s as steady a forward there is in the country. That experience definitely allows for the Tigers to just be comfortable playing in big collegiate games. Aside from being good and talented, headed by National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome, they are much more mature on the floor than their collegiate counterparts. Evidenced by their comeback victory against March Madness staple Tom Izzo and Michigan State, being down early does not faze the Tigers. Even with Broome suffering an arm injury, the Tigers were able to overcome the Spartans to earn a trip to San Antonio—aided by Broome returning and having 25 points and 14 rebounds in that game. Freshman sixth man guard Tahaad Pettiford provides that youthful exuberance needed to change the energy in some games, but it will be the maturation of the starting five that will carry Auburn to the title, if they win it.
Why They Won’t
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl is one of the more charismatic figures in college basketball. During a time where more and more players and coaches seem to be less willing to be themselves, Pearl had never stayed from that going back to his Cinderella-leading days at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Now at Auburn, Paul has a chance to capture that elusive title. But having a team with valid championship aspirations means there are outside championship expectations. This leads to the pressure of winning, and Pearl’s teams have fallen short of those expectations in previous years. Just last year, Pearl’s Tigers won the SEC Tournament only to lose to Yale in the first round. Pearl was the coach at Tennessee in the 2007-08 season where the Vols won 31 games and lost in the Sweet Sixteen as a #2 seed. Pearl had to get over the proverbial hump one of these years. Unfortunately, a disappointing end to the regular season and other teams, including his conference tournament on Saturday, being as good as Auburn could thwart him from finally cutting down the nets.
Houston
Why They’ll Win
There are some teams you just don’t want to face. Depending on the team, that reason to avoid them could be because of a unique style of play difficult to prepare for. Houston is that team, but not necessarily because their offensive identity is so rare that teams have to play different coverage to stop you. Simply put, Houston looks to beat teams up, imposing a physical and legal brand of basketball that tests the willpower of its adversaries. The Cougars hold teams to just 38.3 percent shooting, force over 13 turnovers with 7 steals a game, and out-rebound their opponents 40 to 36—all without a player taller than 6’8” on their roster. To call some of their, let’s say defense-oriented games rock fights would be offensive to rocks. Not only that, Houston brings catapults and boulders to these rock fights, overwhelming teams with the weight of their physicality. These other trans better be in both mental and physical shape to go 40 minutes with the Cougars. Sometimes, toughness in sports carries an embellishment with it, as everyone competing has to have some measure of it to even be here. Houston’s toughness is tangible and would be the driving force behind head coach Kelvin Sampson’s team being crowned champions.
Why They Won’t
Putting the ball in the basket can be a struggle at times for Houston. Of the four remaining squads, Houston averages the fewest amount of points per game. The other three teams are over 80 a night while Houston averages less than 75 points. While that may not seem like a huge difference, it is in a 40-minute game where there just aren’t as many possessions. This means the Cougars will either have to shoot well or turn the game into a slog and hope the other team is more off from the field than they are. It’s not impossible, as it’s their form and nature to play those kinds of games. But consecutive misses and multiple scoring drought can add to the fatigue on defense. With each basket carrying more weight than just points on the scoreboard, a lot of responsibility will be placed on the shoulders of leading scorer L.J. Cryer to make sure quality buckets are taken. He and his backcourt mates are certainly up to the task, but said task is still a formidable. But it’s the final weekend in college basketball. It’s supposed to be difficult.
That’s it from me. May this weekend’s games be legendary and entertaining and good luck to all teams involved. I’ll catch you next time!
