After a long season, the Final Four is finally here. Out of the 68 teams that made the Tournament, only four remain. The four teams remaining are the UConn Huskies, Purdue Boilermakers, Alabama Crimson Tide, and the NC State Wolfpack. Let’s take a look at the Final Four matchups.
#1 Purdue vs #11 NC State/ Saturday, April 6th 6:09 PM, TBS
The Purdue Boilermakers enter the matchup with a 33-4 record, while NC State enters with a 26-14 record.
Purdue has been one of the best teams all season, led by NPOY Zach Edey, who is looking to be the first repeat NPOY since Ralph Sampson in 1983, and he has a very good chance to repeat. Edey is averaging 25 PPG, 12 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game. Unlike last season, Purdue is not just a one-man show. Purdue’s point guard Braden Smith has been phenomenal this season. Purdue is a team with a good mixture of veterans and youth, starting 2 seniors and 3 sophomores in their starting lineup. Purdue is looking to avenge their recent tournament struggles with a huge win to advance to the National Championship for only the second time in school history.
NC State’s 2024 tournament run will go down in history, becoming the 6th #11 seed to ever make the Final Four. But put the Cinderella story behind, this Wolfpack team is really good. NC State is led by fan favorite DJ Burns. Burns has been putting on a show during the tournament, averaging 18.2 PPG in his four games in March. NC State also has a lot of experience on their roster, with their 7 best players all being Juniors or Seniors. Even though the Wolfpack have been underdogs in three out of their four games in the tournament, they have been winning games by a good amount. The last time NC State made the Final Four they won the Championship, I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
Game Prediction: Purdue Wins 78-69
#1 UConn vs #4 Alabama / Saturday, April 6th, 8:49 PM, TBS
UConn is on a legendary run, they have won 10 straight games in the NCAA Tournament by 13 points or more. A lot of people are saying that their roster could compete in the NBA, and I’m not disagreeing. The Huskies are coached by Dan Hurley who has proved himself to be one of the best college coaches of all time. UConn has 5 players that average 10+ points, and they are led by Senior guard Tristen Newton. The Huskies also have the closest thing to Zach Edey, 7’2 center Donovan Clingan is ready to show everyone what he’s made of. UConn has 2-3 potential NBA players, and they are filled with experience and talent, they are almost unbeatable. UConn is the closest thing to a dynasty.
Alabama has been playing their best basketball of the season, and they did it at a great time. In Alabama’s 4 games in the tournament they are averaging 89.7 PPG, but they are also giving up a concerning 81.5 PPG. Alabama is led by Senior guard Mark Sears who has been dominating the tournament, averaging 24.2 PPG in his four games. It’s going to be tough to beat UConn, but if anyone can pull off an upset it would be Alabama. The Crimson Tide are known for taking a lot of threes, and in UConn’s losses this year, they have shot poorly from the three and the other team has shot great from the three. Alabama can do that, but they would have to play perfectly. Alabama has proved everyone wrong, can they do it again?
Game Prediction: UConn wins 91-85
National Championship- #1 UConn vs #1 Purdue / Monday, April 8th
If this game were to happen, it would be a thriller. Purdue and UConn have been 1A and 1B the entire season, and this would be one of the most anticipated National Championship games of the last 25 years. UConn has already been here, and they are the defending champions, and that should take a lot of pressure off UConn’s players. On the other hand, Purdue has only been to one National Championship in school history, and they are coming off a few disappointing endings in March. But both teams will be trying to win one of the most prestigious trophies in all of sports. UConn and Purdue match up perfectly. UConn isn’t a great three-point shooting team, while Purdue is the #1 three-point shooting team in the country. Purdue has 7’4 NPOY Zach Edey, and UConn has 7’2 projected lottery pick Donovan Clingan. UConn has more depth, but when it matters most, the best players always show up. This game could go any way, but something that won’t happen is either team beating the other by 10+ points. This is what March is about, the best teams playing the best basketball at the best time. This will be must-watch tv. Don’t miss it.
Game Prediction: Purdue Wins 73-71 (Boiler Up)
