The Final Four of the NCAA men’s tournament is just one win away for the eight teams that have advanced to the region finals. The last step on the journey to San Antonio, Texas, just might be the hardest, with a lineup full of contenders.
Saturday’s schedule sees two No. 1 seeds – and perhaps the two biggest favorites to win the entire tournament – in action. Florida will highlight the proceedings from the West Region in San Francisco. The Gators have won nine in a row, a run that includes capturing the SEC tournament. They’ll be challenged by Texas Tech, the Big 12 runner-up in the regular season that staged a furious comeback against Arkansas in the Sweet 16.
In the nightcap, Duke will try to make another trip to the Final Four but will have to deal with the up-tempo and hot-shooting Alabama. The Crimson Tide broke a tournament record with 25 three-pointers against Brigham Young. But can they carry that momentum against the Blue Devils?
It shapes up to be two tense contests. Here’s a breakdown:
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 3 Texas Tech
Time/TV: 6:09 p.m., ET, TBS/truTV
How much do the Red Raiders have in the tank after their comeback victory against Arkansas? It’s a short turnaround, and they’re not a particularly deep team, but there is plenty of grit and fight. Inside forces JT Toppin and Darrion Williams are Tech’s top two scoring options.
Florida will counter with a heavy rotation of size to slow them down. It may then fall on Christian Anderson and Elijah Hawkins to provide the outside game to keep the Gators honest. The Red Raiders will try to slow down Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr., something few teams have been able to do. Clayton will have lots of support – notably from backcourt mates Alijah Martin and Will Richard – as the Gators rank third in the nation in scoring (85.5 ppg).
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Alabama
Time/TV: 8:39 p.m., ET, TBS/truTV
While it might be great for the neutral viewers, don’t expect the kind of pace and free-flowing shooting that allowed Alabama to have its record-setting night Friday. Duke will want to slow things down to take advantage of its size in the halfcourt and protect its big men from foul trouble. It’s simple math: Fewer possessions mean fewer opportunities for Khaman Maluach and Patrick Ngongba II to be on the bench. Their ability to defend the rim is critical for the Blue Devils.
While it might seem crazy to force the Crimson Tide to stay on the perimeter, that’s what Duke will want. The likelihood of another historic performance by Alabama will be a challenge. Mark Sears will be tasked with breaking down the Duke defense, something that Arizona was effective with in the Sweet 16. That could set up Grant Nelson and the other plethora of Crimson Tide scorers. There’s one name still not mentioned, and he might be the biggest factor. Cooper Flagg playing on the level he did Friday makes the Blue Devils almost un-guardable. They’ll still need to hit their shots, but there should be plenty of open ones.