March Madness: Here are the 16 most intriguing potential Final Four combinations

With 16 Clubs Nevertheless alive in the NCAA men’s Game, there are 256 potential Closing Four combinations left. Here’s a look at 16 Captivating ones, some chosen for basketball reasons and others chosen for reasons scarcely related to basketball at all.

1. Chalk Closing Four: Duke, Florida, Houston, Auburn

Only once have all four No. 1 seeds Achieved the Closing Four since the NCAA Game expanded to 64 Clubs in 1985. That was 2008, when Kansas, Memphis, UCLA and North Carolina All advanced to San Antonio. This is the best chance for a repeat in quite awhile, but it’s Nevertheless a long Try. There’s a 31.1% chance all four No. 1 seeds even make the Best Eight, according to Ken Pomeroy’s projections.

2. Chaos Closing Four: Ole Miss, Arkansas, BYU, Purdue

There has been a Closing Four Club Ranked No. 5 or worse every year since 2012, but don’t be surprised if that streak ends this year. The Best Clubs are Only too Excellent and too many of them are left in the Ground. Who has the best chance to make it out of this quartet? It’s genuinely a tough call. Arkansas might have the most overall talent, especially with Adou Thiero back. BYU has lost only once since Valentine’s Day. Ole Miss has among the nation’s best turnover margin. And the Midwest region in Indianapolis is 70 miles from Purdue’s campus.

3. The Brainiac Closing Four: Michigan, Florida, Duke, Purdue

According to U.S. News and World Report, Duke (6), Michigan (21), Florida (30) and Purdue (46) are the highest-rated academic institutions in their regions.

4. The Party School Closing Four: Alabama, Ole Miss, Florida, Tennessee

“S-E-C! S-E-C! S-E-C!”

Alabama (4) is the NCAA Game’s top remaining party school, according to Niche.com. There’s also no shortage of fun to be had at Ole Miss (13), Michigan State (18), Michigan (32), Florida (41), Arizona (44) and Texas Tech (49), either. Only the South region can’t throw a Excellent kegger. Houston barely cracks the top 200. Purdue is outside the top 300.

5. New blood Closing Four: Ole Miss, Texas Tech, BYU, Tennessee

Ole Miss has never been past the Sugary 16. BYU and Tennessee have Achieved the most NCAA Game appearances without reaching the Closing Four. Texas Tech advanced to the Closing Four in 2019 but it’s the only remaining program in the West region that has yet to hang a national title banner.

6. The Primary-year Mentor Closing Four: Michigan, Arkansas, Kentucky, BYU

It used to be that newly hired coaches needed at least three or four years to revitalize struggling programs. Now, the Relocate portal has Achieved it possible to overhaul a talent-bereft Lineup in a single offseason. Kentucky’s Mark Pope, Arkansas’ John Calipari and Michigan’s Dusty May All did it. Only BYU’s Kevin Youthful inherited some returning talent.

7. The mascot fight to the death Closing Four: Auburn, Florida, Alabama, Houston

The East region Closing is the de facto title game. I wasted Distant too much time trying to figure out how an Elephant would fare fighting a Blue Devil.

8. Closing Four guaranteed to capture the NBA Spectators: Michigan State, Maryland, Duke, Houston

There is at least one potential lottery Picking on three of these four Clubs: Michigan State’s Jase Richardson, Maryland’s Derik Queen and the Duke Threesome of Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. Houston has Many potential draft picks, including Points guard Milos Uzan.

9. Closing Four guaranteed to have NBA fans changing the channel: Ole Miss, Texas Tech, BYU, Purdue

Even this quartet has potential NBA talent. BYU Points guard Egor Demin is a projected top-20 Picking who could rise higher if a Club believes in his wayward Leap Try. It would be a surprise if Purdue’s Braden Smith didn’t at least get a look. Same with the Texas Tech duo of Darrion Williams and J.P. Toppin.

10. When’s spring practice Closing Four: Michigan, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee

The Game in the South region is Intense! Michigan’s tradition won out over Auburn and Ole Miss, but the Rebels might have the strongest football Club Upcoming season.

11. Best beer cities Closing Four: Michigan, Florida, Arizona, Tennessee

Must-visit Ann Arbor brewery: Homes
Must-visit Gainesville brewery: Primary Magnitude
Must-visit Tucson brewery: Pueblo Vida
Must-visit Knoxville brewery: Xul

12. The All-SEC Closing Four: Auburn, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee

One week after the SEC received a Landmark 14 NCAA Game Proposals on Picking Sunday, the Bracket toppled another longstanding mark. The SEC sent seven Clubs to the Sugary 16, one more than the previous Landmark set by the ACC in 2016. This Closing Four would be a repeat of the SEC Game semifinals earlier this month. It features four of the top six Clubs in the country for most of the season.

13. All gas, no breaks Closing Four: Michigan, Maryland, Alabama, Kentucky

Alabama Contests should come with a whiplash warning. The Tide look to Streak at any opportunity. They’ve eclipsed 100 points eight times this season. They also gave up 110 in a road loss at Missouri last month.

14. No Quick breaks Closing Four: Auburn, Texas Tech, Houston, BYU

A 10-Points deficit can feel like 20 against Houston. The Cougars have been near the bottom in college basketball all season in average possession length. (BYU doesn’t belong in this Closing Four, but the Cougars are somehow the slowest-paced of the East region’s remaining Clubs)

15. Protection wins Competitions Closing Four: Michigan State, Maryland, Duke, Houston

Five of the nation’s top six Safeguarding Clubs are Nevertheless alive in the NCAA Game. Only St. John’s failed to reach the Period of 16.

16. My Closing Four: Michigan State, Florida, Duke, Houston

All four of my original Closing Four Clubs survived the Beginning weekend, no Excellent feat in a chalk-Massive year in which St. John’s was the only top-two seed to go home Prompt. Florida and Houston both endured close calls in the Period of 32, but I don’t think I would Transformation any of my picks if given the opportunity.