The Final Four in the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament kicks off tomorrow! As always, the tournament has been nothing short of absolute madness, but this one has been historically crazy. Firstly, 2023’s tournament marked the first time ever that no top seeds made it to the Elite 8. Purdue was bounced in the first round, Kansas lost in the second, and then Houston and Alabama both went down in the Sweet 16. Also, this year’s Final Four will have no top-3 seeds for the first time in history after Kansas State, Gonzaga and Texas lost last weekend. So, who does that leave us with?
THE FINAL FOUR
UConn (-125)
Connecticut comes into the Final Four as the highest seed and a pretty large favorite to win it all. As expected, big man Adama Sanogo has been an absolute beast for the Huskies in the tournament and is averaging 20 points and just under 10 rebounds a game. Guard Jordan Hawkins is also doing his thing and has scored at least 20 points in back-to-back games. With a combination of high-flying offence and stifling defense, this team has bullied their way into the Final Four. Here’s how they’ve got here:
87-63 W vs #13 Iona
70-55 W vs #5 St. Mary’s
88-65 W vs #8 Arkansas
82-54 W vs #3 Gonzaga
San Diego State (+400)
Next up are the San Diego State Aztecs, who took down first overall seed Alabama in the Sweet 16. A lot of people had this team on the radar to be upset in the first round against Charleston, but the Aztecs just kept winning. They may not have any individual players shooting the lights out or dominating the stat sheets every night, but they have a solid rotation that knows how to win. They’re also slated to play the ninth seed Florida Atlantic Owls next, which helps their chances of at least making the Championship Game. Here’s what San Diego State has done so far:
63-57 W vs #12 Charleston
75-52 W vs #13 Furman
71-64 W vs #1 Alabama
57-56 W vs #6 Creighton
Miami (FL) (+450)
After a comeback win against the Texas Longhorns in the Elite 8, Miami is in the Final Four for the first time ever. This team may have the third-best odds at winning the tournament, but they’ve also gone through the best teams to get here. Isiah Wong and Nigel Pack have delivered standout performances for the Hurricanes, but every one of their heavily relied upon starters is getting it done right now. Unfortunately, after beating 3 top-4 seeds in a row, they’re now going up against the juggernaut that is Connecticut. With that said, Miami’s resume of wins so far is nothing short of exceptional.
63-56 W vs #12 Drake
85-69 W vs #4 Indiana
89-75 W vs #1 Houston
88-81 W vs #2 Texas
Florida Atlantic (+650)
The Cinderella story of the 2023 March Madness Tournament is Florida Atlantic. After barely surviving a first-round matchup with Memphis, the Owls are in their first Final Four ever and looking to become the highest seed of all time to win the tournament. After starting only half of the team’s games this season, Johnell Davis has been a beast for FAU recently and has scored at least 12 points in his last ten games, including a 29-point effort in the second round. Playing in a smaller conference, the team has lost just three games this season and goes into their matchup with San Diego State as just 2.5-point underdogs. All of their games have been close, but the Owls are still dancing.
66-65 W vs #8 Memphis
78-70 W vs #16 Farleigh Dickinson
62-55 W vs #4 Tennessee
79-76 W vs #3 Kansas State
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