And Then There Were Four
For the second time in NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament history, all four number-one seeded teams have made the Final Four. The last occurrence of such a thing was in 2008, the first time it had ever happened in tournament history. The four #1 seeds are Auburn, Duke, Florida, and Houston. I’m going to break down these Final Four matchups and make my predictions on who I think will win it all.
#1 Florida vs. #1 Auburn
The Gators
Florida is led by Walter Clayton Jr., a 6’3” point guard from Lake Wales, Florida, who has been averaging 18.1 points per game on 44.6% shooting from the field this year. He most recently had a big-time performance in the Elite Eight vs. Texas Tech, a game in which he had 30 points on 50% shooting from the field and two blocks.
Florida also has lethal weapons in players like Alex Condon, Thomas Haugh, Alijah Martin, and Will Richard. All of these guys average nine points per game or more, and they are all huge contributors to Florida’s success this year. The Gators finished second in the SEC in the regular season and went on to win the SEC tournament, defeating Tennessee.
The Tigers
The Gators' opponent this Saturday is Auburn, led by National Player of the Year candidate Johni Broome. Broome is currently averaging 18.7 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. In the recent Elite Eight game, Broome dropped 25 points to help Auburn defeat Michigan State.
The Tigers also have Tahaad Pettiford, and if you’re unfamiliar, I suggest you learn the name. Pettiford is a 6’1”, 19-year-old freshman from Jersey City, New Jersey, a place where he learned the value of grit and grind. Pettiford is a straight baller and a projected lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft.
During the regular season, Pettiford averaged 11.7 points per game. However, during the NCAA Tournament, he has been averaging 17.25 points. He may be short, but his game is large, and he is a true asset off the bench for this Tigers team.
Prediction
Florida and Auburn faced off once during the regular season, a game that Florida won 90-81. Auburn is a good team, but Florida is a great team. Despite being down late in the second half in their most recent games, they never seemed worried. If anything, they seemed confident that they would win those games.
Florida has the size advantage against Auburn, and I personally think the Gators are the better team. Auburn’s Johni Broome suffered a hyperextended knee in the Tigers’ last game against MSU, though he is expected to play this Saturday.
With that being said, I have believed since the start that the Gators would win the National Championship, and I have yet to change that stance. The Florida Gators will defeat the Auburn Tigers this Saturday and advance to the National Championship for the first time since 2008.
#1 Duke vs. #1 Houston
The Blue Devils
They might just beat Florida as the best team in the country. The Blue Devils are good. Really freaking good. Led by freshman Cooper Flagg and junior Tyrese Proctor and coached by former Duke player Jon Scheyer, the Blue Devils have been unstoppable this year.
Flagg is a generational talent—a 6’9” power forward from Newport, Maine, averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He can do a little bit of everything, which makes him so good.
Proctor, on the other hand, is a speedy point guard from Australia who you can always count on to get you a bucket. He is currently averaging 12.5 points per game on 45.7% shooting from the field. In Duke’s recent Elite Eight game vs. Alabama, Proctor had 17 points on 70% shooting from the field, as well as five rebounds and two steals. He also put up big numbers in Duke’s win against Baylor.
You might be saying, “Well, that’s only two guys; that doesn’t make Duke that good.” Well, I’m not finished.
Duke has three other great freshmen in Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, and Isaiah Evans. Knueppel is a point guard from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, who can shoot the lights out and plays his heart out. Maluach is a great 7-foot big man from South Sudan who provides excellent interior protection on defense. Evans is a lethal, lanky sharpshooter from Huntersville, North Carolina, who had big performances for Duke earlier this year.
The Blue Devils also have great contributors in players like Mason Gillis, Caleb Foster, and Sion James.
The point I’m making: The Blue Devils are really good.
The Cougars
I gotta be honest. I don’t know much about the Houston Cougars. I do know they have been a top-five team in the country for most of this year, and I do know they surprised me and a couple of others when they beat #2 Tennessee in the Elite Eight.
After that, my knowledge is pretty slim.
The Cougars play in the Big 12, and they beat some good teams this past season, like BYU, Baylor, Kansas, and Arizona. Statistically, their leader in points per game is senior L.J. Cryer, and their leader in rebounds is senior J’Wan Roberts.
The Cougars are coached by Kelvin Sampson. Sampson has coached the Cougars since 2014 and has a record of 381-298.
Prediction
The Cougars are obviously a good basketball team, but I think they are the weakest of the one seeds. I think this matchup may start out close, but I would not be surprised if Duke pulls away and beats Houston by double digits. I think the Blue Devils are National Championship bound, and I don’t think they will have much of a problem against Houston.
