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The 2024 men's Final Four is officially set after a fun few weeks of the NCAA Tournament. The defending champion UConn Huskies face off against Alabama, who stunned North Carolina and then ended Clemson's Cinderella run. Zach Edey and Purdue are facing off against a Cinderella story of its own with DJ Burns and the NC State Wolfpack.
NC State had to win five games in five days at the ACC Tournament to even get a bid into the Big Dance, and they have done nothing but win since entering the field. The Edey-Burns matchup will be one to watch, and Dan Hurley against Nate Oats is a dream coaching matchup for the fans.
With the Final Four officially here, let us rank each of the teams ahead of the biggest weekend in college basketball. It's not a surprise who is on top of the rankings.
1. UConn Huskies
This is about as everybody expected all season long. Dan Hurley's team has been arguably the best team in the nation since the season started. They entered as the No. 1 overall seed and have crushed every single opponent they have faced up until this point. Here are the results for UConn's Final Four run this year:
- Won vs. 16-seed Stetson, 91-52
- Won vs. 9-seed Northwestern, 75-58
- Won vs. 5-seed San Diego State, 82-52
- Won vs. 3-seed Illinois, 77-52
UConn has not allowed any team to score 60 points or more in this run, and they have won every game by 15 or more points with two wins coming by 30 or more. It has been an absolutely unreal run by UConn, who even throttled San Diego State in a rematch of last year's national title game. UConn hasn't lost a game since February 20 and they have just one loss since December 21, so they are clicking on all cylinders.
Entering the Final Four clash against Alabama, the Huskies even have a historic spread with another national title game on their minds.
2. Purdue Boilermakers
A lot of people had their doubts about Zach Edey and this Purdue team entering the tournament, and for good reason. The Boilermakers suffered an all-time collapse against 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the Big Dance a year ago. The year before that, Purdue lost to Saint Peter's in the Sweet 16 and then fell to 13-seed North Texas the year before that. All in all, Matt Painter's team has lost early in a string of upsets.
This year has been much different. The Boilermakers defeated Grambling State, Utah State, Gonzaga, and Tennessee to get to the Final Four and silence the critics. Edey, whose NBA Draft profile has sparked quite the debate, put together an eye-popping 40-point, 16-rebound performance in the Elite Eight win over Tennessee.
The way the Boilermakers are playing right now is reminiscent of the team they have been all year as they lost just three games prior to the Big Ten tournament. If Purdue can keep playing like that, they might give UConn a run for its money if those teams meet up in the national title game. First things first for Purdue is a tough matchup against NC State.
3. NC State Wolfpack
How many times have we seen a team have a mediocre season and string together an unreal March run? That is exactly what is going on with the NC State Wolfpack. They went just 17-14 overall this season, including a 9-11 ACC record. The Wolfpack lost four in a row to end the regular season and five of its final six. However, someway somehow, they rattled off five straight wins in five days in the ACC Tournament to earn the automatic bid. They defeated Louisville, Syracuse, Duke, Virginia, and North Carolina.
NC State entered the Big Dance as an 11-seed and defeated Texas Tech, Oakland, Marquette, and Duke to get to the Final Four. Even more impressive is the fact that every win except the Oakland game came by double digits, and the Wolfpack have been on a roll.
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1983, @PackMensBball ARE FINAL FOUR BOUND! pic.twitter.com/le0S1BzDSU
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) March 31, 2024
DJ Burns has gone viral and even caught the attention of NFL scouts with his play during this run. Burns is fresh off an eye-popping 29-point performance in the win over Duke, and he could give Zach Edey a tougher time than anyone has yet in this tournament. NC State is the sixth 11-seed to make the Final Four, but none of them have been able to make it to the national title game. Can the Wolfpack be the team to get it done?
4. Alabama Crimson Tide
The Alabama Crimson Tide were the No. 1 overall seed in last year's tournament but lost to San Diego State in the Sweet 16. This time around, Nate Oats' team has delivered and has punched their ticket to the first Final Four in the history of the program.
After Alabama's 14-point loss to Florida in the SEC Tournament, there were more questions than answers. However, the Crimson Tide have beaten some good teams so far to get to the Final Four. Here's the path the Crimson Tide have taken thus far:
- Won vs. 13-seed Charleston, 109-96
- Won vs. 12-seed Grand Canyon, 72-61
- Won vs. 1-seed North Carolina, 89-87
- Won vs. 6-seed Clemson, 89-82
The win over North Carolina had Tar Heels fans in shambles, but it was Grant Nelson's heroics that saved the day. Being ranked fourth best out of the Final Four teams is nothing to be ashamed of either. If it weren't for NC State's hot streak, the Crimson Tide would've been a bit higher.
The Final Four kicks off on Saturday in Phoenix.
