No.11 seed NC State make the final four.
OK, so who had UConn, Purdue, Alabama and NC State in their Final Four?
This season’s Final Four is exactly why we love March Madness. It’s fair to say a lot of people could have foreseen UConn and Purdue’s presence here – they’re both No. 1 seeds after all.
What's more - Alabama, despite being a No. 4 seed, isn’t exactly a surprise. They’ve been among the best scoring teams in the country all year along. You might even recall we pointed out they were contenders a few weeks ago.
Really, their only weakness had been inconsistent defense, and the Crimson Tide have shaped that up throughout the tourney. So again, no big shock to see them in Glendale, Arizona.
But NC State? That’s a genuine surprise. The Wolfpack have become just the sixth No. 11 seed to reach the Final Four – ever. (The others being LSU in 1986, George Mason in 2006, VCU in 2011, Loyola-Chicago in 2018 and UCLA in 2021.)
Not to mention they’ve gotten there in spectacular fashion, just making the NCAA Tournament by going on an incredible run in the ACC Tournament and winning over the likes of Duke and North Carolina and Clemson.
They just haven’t stopped winning. We have a true Cinderella in the Final Four this year.
But can they keep it going? Let’s look at the two upcoming games.
NC State v. Purdue
The first in our double header on Saturday, April 6. The Wolfpack, of course, are America’s darlings as this year’s Cinderella. But Purdue has lived up to its top billing every step of the way.
The key matchups in this game are going to be NC State big man DJ Burns Jr. against Purdue Center Zach Edey – alongside the Wolfpack’s DJ Horne against the Boilermakers’ Braden Smith.
Burns, arguably, is the breakout star of March. His big body has caused problems for opposing teams with a stunning display of brute force, size and skill. (Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic recently praised Burns for his talent – he’s not just a big guy.)
But Edey is something really special. He had 40 points in Purdue’s game against Tennessee (and some sharp words after the game).
As brilliant as Burns and NC State have been this March, Purdue will be their biggest test – an obscenely talented team that’s highly motivated. Keep in mind, no no.11 seed to make the Final Four has made it to the championship game.
The fact is, this is Purdue’s game to lose, but one of these days an 11 seed is going to break through, and the Wolfpack has been on a tremendous run. Are you really going to bet against them?
UConn v. Alabama
While the first game on Saturday has the fun story, the second one just has crazy skills on both sides. UConn, the defending champs, looking to become the first back-to-back winners since Florida in the mid aughts, are loaded and have looked every bit the No. 1 overall seed since the tourney began.
Bama, meanwhile, knows how to score and has played in some high scoring games this month, in part because defense hasn’t exactly been their top focus. But if they want to hang with the Huskies, they’re going to have to get some stops.
The Crimson Tide can win a shootout with UConn – they can win a shootout with anyone. But is that really the best strategy against the defending champs? We’ll have to see how Alabama decides to play it.
That’s really going to be the critical decision in this game: How Alabama approaches this contest. We know what UConn is going to do, bully you with Tristen Newton, Cam Spencer, Alex Karaban, Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle, who all average double digit in points and generally are big and long and rangy. Clingan in particular has had a good tournament.
But as we keep saying, Alabama knows where the net is, led by guard Mark Sears who puts up deep threes like he’s Curry.
Much like the first game, this is UConn’s contest to lose. They’re the No. 1 overall seed. They should win, but Alabama has the skill and has finally shown the grit on defense to be legitimate world beaters.
The first came could be good. This game should be great.
