The Final Four is set. UConn is going to their seventh Final Four and their second consecutive. NC State and Purdue are headed to the Final Four for the first time since the early 1980s. Alabama is making their first Final Four appearance ever.
In this edition of Around March Madness, we will look at the most exciting games, the biggest upset and the performances from each of the four regions’ most outstanding players.
Best Games
No. 4 seed Alabama advances to second Elite Eight trip in program history over No. 1 seed North Carolina, 89-87
The Crimson Tide aimed to make their first Elite Eight in 20 years. Standing in the way were the North Carolina Tar Heels, the No. 1 seed in the West Region. Grant Nelson had an unreal game for Alabama, finishing with a season-high 24 points, including 19 in the second half. After giving the Tide the lead late in the game, Nelson blocked UNC guard RJ Davis’ attempt at a game-tying layup. North Carolina big Armando Bacot scored inside with one second remaining, and despite Nelson missing both free throws, the Crimson Tide punched their ticket to the West Regional Final.
No. 3 seed Illinois fends off No. 2 seed Iowa State 72-69, heads to first Elite Eight since 2005
Led by a 29-point performance from Terrence Shannon Jr., the Illini showed that the top offense on KenPom is more valuable than the top defense. Shannon Jr. had 20 points in the first half and capped off the performance with a steal and a breakaway dunk. Illinois advanced to the East Regional Final to face top-seeded UConn after an impressive defensive performance.
No. 4 seed Duke upsets Shead-less No. 1 seed Houston, 54-51
Houston All-American guard Jamal Shead missed the final 26 minutes of the game after spraining his right ankle. Houston played strong defense as they held Duke to a season-low 54 points. However, Shead’s absence was enough for Duke to prevail. Star center Kyle Filipowski had 16 points and nine rebounds, while guard Jeremy Roach added 14 points in the second half. Duke’s win over the Cougars matched the Blue Devils with NC State in the Elite Eight.
Biggest Upset
No. 11 seed NC State advances to first Final Four since 1983 with 76-64 win over No. 4 seed Duke
It was the first Elite Eight appearance for NC State since 1986 when the late Jim Valvano was the head coach. The Wolfpack continued to be red-hot, winning their ninth consecutive elimination game. NC State big DJ Burns Jr. scored a season-high 29 points while shooting 13-19 from the field. Guard DJ Horne put up 20 as the DJs helped beat their arch-rival.
Regions’ Most Outstanding Players
East Region: Donovan Clingan, C, UConn (15 PPG, 9 RPG, 1.5 APG, 3 BPG 1.5 SPG, 59.1 FG% in two games)
The best performance of Clingan’s career came in the Huskies’ Elite Eight win over Illinois. The Bristol, Connecticut native had 22 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and three steals. He shot 9-13 in 22 minutes and proved why he could match up well with Edey on Monday (if both teams win in the Final Four).
South Region: DJ Burns Jr., F, NC State (16.5 PPG, 5 APG, 4 RPG, 1 BPG, 65.2 FG% in two games)
DJ Burns Jr. has taken college basketball by storm. While DJ Horne is NC State’s leading scorer, Burns has put up two incredible performances in the NCAA Tournament. In the Final Four-clinching win over Duke, Burns had a season-high 29 points.
Midwest Region: Zach Edey, C, Purdue (33.5 PPG, 15 RPG, 1 APG, 63.9 FG% in two games)
In the Boilermakers’ Sweet 16 win over No. 5 seed Gonzaga, Edey put up 27 points and 14 rebounds on 10-15 shooting. He’s been incredibly efficient in the two regional games and put up a monster game in the team’s 72-66 win over No. 2 seed Tennessee. He had a career-high 40 points and 16 boards on 13-21 shooting.
West Region: Mark Sears, G, Alabama (20.5 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2 APG, 46.9 FG%, 42.9 3P% in two games)
Sears is the only guard that won one of the region’s most outstanding player honors, averaging over 20 points in the two regional games Alabama played in. In the Sweet 16 win over No. 1 seed North Carolina, he had 18 points on 7-14 shooting. In Alabama’s historic win over No. 6 seed Clemson, Sears had 23 points, drilling seven 3-pointers, which accounted for all but one of his baskets.
Final Four games
No. 11 NC State vs. No. 1 Purdue (Saturday, 6:09 p.m., TBS)
It will be a battle of the two bigs: NC State’s DJ Burns Jr. and Purdue’s Zach Edey. Purdue’s Braden Smith has been a terrific passer in each of Purdue’s four NCAA Tournament wins this season, including 15 assists in the Sweet 16 win over Gonzaga. On the other side, DJ Horne has not gotten enough love for leading this team to a nine-game winning streak to get to where they are now. Horne is the leading scorer on NC State and has scored in double figures in his last five games. While Horne isn’t the passer that Smith is, he is a threat for Matt Painter’s team to watch out for.
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 UConn (Saturday, 8:49 p.m. (approx.), TBS)
We’ll go more in-depth into this matchup later this week with a whole article previewing the game, but here’s a quick preview for the ones who want a little more to read on this matchup. All-American guards Tristen Newton and Mark Sears will battle to lead their respective teams to the national championship game. The potential weakness for Alabama is how they plan for centers Donovan Clingan and Samson Johnson. UConn has the best chance to repeat since Florida accomplished the rare feat in 2007.