March Madness: Final Four Prospect Matchup Preview

The Final Four this year is arguably the most stacked in NCAA Tournament history. For just the second time in tournament history, we have a Final Four of all number-onee seeds. The last time this happened was back in 2008, when the Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Memphis Tigers in the championship. This year, we have the projected number one overall pick in Cooper Flagg, playing just like in 2008 when the top overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft played in the championship game, and that was Derrick Rose. Let’s dive into each team and what to expect from them.

Auburn Tigers | SEC

Apr 4, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (4) talks with guard Miles Kelly (13) during a practice session for the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The overall number one seed in the NCAA Tournament is the Auburn Tigers, who are led by Johni Broome -- a double-double machine all season long. This team is coached by Bruce Pearl and the Tigers play a very fast-paced and exciting offense. Their players certainly don’t lack confidence.

Especially their freshman guard, Tahaad Pettiford, who is one of the most skilled guards in all of college basketball, and Miles Kelly, who has the ultimate green light from beyond the arc. They have lethal shooters but can also play inside the arc as Broome is a very productive post scorer who can also generate second-chance scoring opportunities with his ability to rebound it at a high level.

This team feels very well connected and like a family which is a big reason they have only suffered five losses on the season. They have an all-around team that looks ready to win their first-ever NCAA National Championship.

Florida Gators | SEC

Apr 4, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Florida Gators guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) during a practice session for the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Another team out of the SEC that made it to the Final Four is the Florida Gators, who are coached by Todd Golden. This team is led by a great trio of guards between Walter Clayton Jr, Alijah Martin and Will Richard. All three of these guards used to play at a mid-major, but are now leading one of the top teams in the country.

This Gators squad has exciting guard play and physical big men that relentlessly crash the glass. One potential first-round pick is Alex Condon, who is a 6-foot-11 big man who plays a crucial role for Florida. He’s considered the X-Factor by most due to his ability to score, pass, rebound and defend at his size.

The leader of this team is Clayton, who has looked like a superstar recently with his great on-court performances and clutch play. He’s comfortably one of the best pure shooters in all of college basketball and he’s looking to shoot his way to a National Championship which would be their third in program history.

Duke Blue Devils | ACC

Apr 4, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) talks with head coach Jon Scheyer during a practice session for the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

If you’re looking to watch NBA talent in the Final Four, then the Duke Blue Devils would be your team to watch. They currently have three projected first-round picks between Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. They also have three projected second-round picks between Sion James, Tyrese Proctor and Isaiah Evans.

The last time a team had six draft picks in a single draft was back in 2015 with the Kentucky Wildcats roster. This season the Blue Devils dominated the ACC as they only suffered one defeat the whole season in conference play. They are the number two overall seed who is coached by Jon Scheyer.

They are also led by the projected number-one pick, Flagg. The 6-foot-9 forward led this team in every major statistical category and is looking to lead this team to a National Championship which would be their sixth in program history and their first ever for a coach not named Mike Krzyzewski.

Houston Cougars | Big 12

Apr 4, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Houston Cougars forward Chase McCarty (24), guard L.J. Cryer (4) and guard Emanuel Sharp (21) watch teammates during a practice session for the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Another team that absolutely dominated their conference was the Houston Cougars, who only suffered one loss during the entirety of conference play in a very solid Big 12 conference. This is a very tough and gritty team that is coached by Kelvin Sampson.

Houston is comfortably the best defensive team remaining in the NCAA Tournament, and if any team had a legitimate shot at limiting Flagg, it would be the Cougars. They are an all-around team that has a ton of veteran guards on their roster. LJ Cryer was on that 2021 Baylor team that won the NCAA Championship and is looking to get his second ring on a different team.

Emanuel Sharp is a sharpshooter who has looked much more efficient this year. They have Milos Uzan who is an all-around guard. Multiple defensive bigs they can throw into the lineup. Houston are looking for their first-ever NCAA Championship as they lost both times they appeared in the championship game.

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