And then there were four…No. 1 seeds.
After the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight weekend, the 2025 Final Four is set, and it features the top seed from each region for the first time since 2008, coincidentally when the Final Four was also played at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
That tournament’s Final Four featured some incredible moments, including an all-time finish to the title game, making this year’s edition of college basketball’s greatest event one to keep your eyes on.
Each of the four teams comes into the national semifinals with incredible talent and experience, making for two incredible Saturday matchups with no clear favorite. This year’s tournament hasn’t produced the level of madness usually accustomed to the NCAA Tournament, but all that may be made up for by what goes down in San Antonio.
Auburn and Florida will get things started in an all SEC matchup, while Houston vs. Duke is the nightcap as a rematch of last year’s Sweet 16. Both matchups bring a ton of intrigue, as most every Final Four does, but this year, because of the caliber of teams, it should take this to another level.
The top four teams KenPom, BartTorvik and NET rankings are the four teams that will meet at the Alamodome, but just one team can hoist the trophy, so without further ado, let’s preview the matchups and outline how each team got to this point.
(1) Florida vs. (1) Auburn, 6:09 p.m. | CBS
A conference clash kicks off the action from San Antonio, as the SEC regular season champion Auburn will meet the SEC Tournament champion Florida.
Each squad was tested in their respective region, but the biggest test all season comes on Saturday, as it's for a spot in the national championship. Florida won their lone matchup in the regular season 90-81 inside of the Tigers’ Neville Arena. This came as a bit of a surprise at the time because Auburn came in on a 14-game win streak, while it also catapulted the Gators into the one-seed conversation, which they stayed in through Selection Sunday.
It's the first conference matchup in the Final Four since 2022, when Duke played North Carolina, while it's the first time two No. 1 seeds have met in the national semifinal since 2021, when Duke faced off against Maryland.
Both these teams are talented, and there’s no denying that they belong in the Final Four, but here’s a breakdown of what to expect from each squad:
Auburn Tigers
Auburn, the No. 1 overall seed, enters this one as a slight underdog, but that shouldn’t take anything away from what the Tigers have accomplished all season or even during the tournament.
Johni Broome has been spectacular all season long, and that hasn’t changed during Auburn’s four tournament games that crowned it the south region champions. In the Elite Eight, Broome had to briefly exit the game with an arm injury but returned after just a few minutes to lead his team to their first Final Four appearance since 2019.
Alongside Broome, Tahaad Pettiford, Denver Jones, Myles Kelly and Chad Baker-Mazara are all key contributors and have each had pivotal moments during the Big Dance. This is an incredibly experienced team, and it is no surprise that they’ve made their way to San Antonio.
Auburn first beat No. 16 Alabama State in the first round, then defeated No. 9 Creighton to advance to the Sweet 16 in Atlanta. The Tigers then beat No. 5 Michigan and No. 2 Michigan State to the Final Four, securing a spot with an impressive run to open the game against the Spartans.
While Broome says he’s good to go, lingering pain could be an issue, although Auburn has fought through its ups and downs all season, so it's fair to expect that it’ll do the same here. With their explosive offense and physical defense, the sky’s the limit for these Tigers as they try for their first national championship in school history.
Florida Gators
The other side of this all-SEC clash features the Florida Gators, who, like Auburn, had a wild ride to get to the Final Four. Florida defeated No. 16 Norfolk State in the first round before its thrilling second-round game against No. 8 UConn. The Gators defeated the defending champs despite being down at the half, propelling them to the Sweet 16 in San Francisco, where they beat No. 4 Maryland, followed by defeating No. 3 Texas Tech in the Elite Eight.
Against the Red Raiders, Florida found itself down by as many as 10, but Walter Clayton’s heroics at the end of the game allowed his team to come back in the final minutes. Alijah Martin, Will Richard, Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh have also been key for the Gators, as they’ve now advanced to their first Final Four since 2014.
Florida has lost just once since February 1 and has looked almost invincible of late, especially in its comeback against Texas Tech. The Gators have an offense that can compete with anyone in this Final Four and is led by one of the most skilled scorers in the last decade in Clayton.
While Todd Golden hadn’t won a tournament game before this year, he might go all the way with this Gator team that simply refuses to quit.
(1) Duke vs. (1) Houston, 8:49 p.m. | CBS
After the Tigers and Gators battle it out, No. 1 Duke will face off against No. 1 Houston in a rematch of last year’s Sweet 16 matchup that eliminated Houston and advanced Duke to an Elite Eight in Jon Scheyer’s second year.
Now, in Scheyer’s third season, Duke finds themselves as the odds-on favorite to win the national championship, yet it will have to beat the Cougars for the second straight tournament to advance to its first national final since 2015,
Both of these squads are incredibly physical and long, as the perimeter will be an area to watch in this matchup, while each team boasts elite scorers. Duke has its freshman, while Houston is built on experience and toughness, but Kelvin Sampson’s group hasn’t won a title just yet.
They’ll have a chance to do it in San Antonio, but the five-time champion Blue Devils will be standing in the path, looking to tie both North Carolina and UConn with a sixth national championship.
But, before we get ahead of ourselves, here’s what each team is made of and how they earned their spot in the Final Four.
Duke Blue Devils
Led by National Player of the Year Cooper Flagg, Duke has been dominant all year, and that includes its four games leading up to the Final Four.
The Blue Devils made quick work of No. 16 Mount Saint Mary’s and No. 9 Baylor to advance to the east regional in Newark and then proceeded to beat No. 4 Arizona and No. 2 Alabama convincingly to advance to their first Final Four since Coach K’s last season in 2022.
That Final Four didn’t go as planned, but this Duke team has been incredibly poised and confident all season long, as it has lost just once since December, winning both the ACC regular season and tournament championships with ease,
Along with Flagg, fellow freshman Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach have been key to the Blue Devil’s success, but veterans Tyrese Proctor and Sion James round out the starting lineup to give Duke a perfect blend of youth and experience.
While Duke teams of old have learned on freshmen, possibly a bit too much, the freshmen of this year’s team play like veterans, while the tenured players add exactly what the freshmen need to succeed. Duke is a national brand for a reason, but Flagg has taken it to the next level with what he’s done this year.
While it’s increasingly rare in today’s game, Flagg is ready to lead his team to a national title as a freshman, and most experts would tell you that it would be no surprise at all.
Houston Cougars
As a one-seed for the third straight tournament, Houston came into the tournament with a national title on its mind, and that won't change entering the Final Four.
The Cougars bested No. 16 SIU Edwardsville in the first round, ahead of a battle with No. 8 Gonzaga that Houston won in the final seconds. Houston advanced to Indianapolis, where the Midwest regional was hosted, beating No. 4 Purdue in a semi-road game before defeating No. 2 Tennessee in the Elite Eight in a truly dominant defensive performance.
Defense has always been the name of the game for Kelvin Sampson-led Houston teams, but this year, scorers like L.J. Cryer, Emmanuel Sharp and Milos Uzan have lit it up. J’Wan Roberts and Joseph Tugler have also been key throughout the season for the Cougars, as UH sports a deep and incredibly experienced squad.
If anyone can match up with Duke physically, it's Houston, while if there’s a team that can slow down Cooper Flagg, it’ll be the Cougars. Expect Saturday’s battle with the Blue Devils to be a dogfight, with no shortage of scorers.
Offense has sometimes been an issue for Houston, particularly in the tournament, but this Houston team is built differently, as its mix of scoring and physical defense makes the Cougars a prime contender, like all the other Final Four teams, to cut down the nets on Monday night in San Antonio.
