Duke squares off with Houston in the second game to determine the national championship.
After multiple weeks of college basketball games we're finally here: the Final Four. And despite a little less drama than in past year — all four teams are No. 1 seeds — we're set to get the best facing the best.
Florida and Auburn kick us off at 6:09 p.m. ET followed by Houston vs. Duke at 8:59 p.m. ET. Both games air on CBS and can be streamed on Paramount+.
Stay with NBC News all night for updates from the men's Final Four in San Antonio.
With just one loss since Feb. 1, the Gators might be the most talented team left. They also might be the one most likely to drive up its fans’ blood pressure, having flirted with disaster already twice in the tournament while trailing Connecticut late in the Sweet 16 and Texas Tech by double digits in the final minutes of the Elite Eight. That they emerged victorious is a credit to their resiliency and the playmaking under pressure of stars like star guard Clayton Jr., but it’s a worry they were in that position to begin with.
Clayton Jr. has been on an absolute heater so far this postseason. He scored 23 points in each of the Gators’ first two tournament games before dropping 30 in the Elite Eight. Clayton Jr.’s performance in Florida’s comeback win over Texas Tech was breathtaking, especially his late barrage of 3-pointers to seal it for the Gators.
When it comes to this time of year, I want to watch a player who can catch fire and shoot the lights out of the ball. Clayton Jr. fits the bill, and Auburn will have its hands full trying to slow him down.
For the past decade there hasn’t exactly been a dearth of lower-seed Cinderellas to make the Final Four, and college basketball’s best attribute is its parity. Now, I’ll step down from my soapbox to say this: That hasn’t always led to compelling games once in the Final Four, however. And this season, with Florida, Duke, Auburn and Houston all looking a cut above during various stretches, the best basketball outcome fans could have received was watching these strength-on-strength semifinals.
Who doesn’t want to watch Duke’s historically efficient offense try to solve Houston’s top-ranked defense, or Auburn’s veteran-laden roster (led by player of the year candidate Johni Broome) attempt to derail Florida’s special season?
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