1. Florida 84, Texas Tech 79
Florida played with energy and confidence in a game that really tested how good of a team they are. They were down in the second half but guard Walter Clayton Jr. made key plays in the finals minutes and controlled the speed of the game in crunch time. He was a game-changer with his leadership.
Although Texas Tech played with lots of energy and a ton of balance on offense and defense, they really struggled to close the game out. The reason Florida won was because they stayed composed under pressure which gave them the lead late. This win puts Florida in the Final Four since 2014.
2. Duke 85, Alabama 65
Duke in my opinion played their best game of the tournament. They destroyed Alabama on both ends of the court, mainly with the second-half 13-0 run to open the game up. Cooper Flagg played a big role in this game, scoring 16 points and playing like a veteran.
Duke’s depth was amazing, with many role players like Khaman Maluach and Kon Knueppel stepped up can provided important contributions. Bama couldn’t keep up with Duke’s pace and their execution on the offense. The Blue Devils have rightfully earned their 18th Final Four appearance in impressive fashion.
3. Houston 69, Tennessee 50
Houston’s defense was elite. In one of the most on-sided havles in possibly Elite Eight history, they held the Volunteers to just 15 points in the first-half! That early lead basically set the tone for the rest of the game and they never let Tennessee find their rhythm and what they are capable of.
Emanuel Sharp scored 16 points and was named the “Midwest Region’s Most Outstanding Player” and he definitely showed that in this game. But the real story was Houston’s defensive strategy. On every single possession Tennessee shots were contested and every rebound was fought for. Tennessee looked finished from the tip-off. This game reminded everyone why Houston had the number 1 defense in the country all season long.
4. Auburn 70, Michigan State 64
This was arugeably the most physical and tight game of the entire round. Auburn relied on their star power forward Johni Broome, who delivered a monster performance with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Although he left the game for a short time he finished the game strong. Just like a 5th year senior would.
Michigan State’s experience kept the game close, but Auburn’s ability to dominate the glass and control late possessions proved to be too much for the Spartans. This win marks Auburn’s second Final Four appearance, their last was in 2019.