During March Madness, four teams cleared the hurdles to qualify for a spot in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and made it to the Final Four.
This Saturday, No. 11 North Carolina State will play No. 1 Purdue, and No. 4 Alabama will play No. 1 University College. The winner of each match will qualify for the national tournament.
As teams gather for the Final Four at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, let’s take a look at the power rankings of these college basketball teams.
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UW center Donovan Clingan reacts after taking a dunk in the second half of the Big East Conference Tournament Championship game against Marquette on March 16, 2024 in New York City. (AP Photo/Mary Altafer)
4. NC State Wolfpack
Did the Wolfpack make it to the Final Four? Few people were in attendance, but March heats up at the right time and Cinderella slippers are on NC State’s feet heading into the weekend. Masu.
The team’s most recent win came Sunday against No. 4 Duke, a shocking win that snapped a nine-game winning streak and traces its origins to the ACC Tournament game that ended in a trophy hoist. .
Cinderella run continues as North Carolina surprises Duke and advances to Final Four
NC State scored 55 points in the second half against a very good Blue Devils team. This shows that this team doesn’t care about seeding or frankly these power rankings. Led in the paint by DJ Barnes Jr. (who was named South Division MVP after dropping 29 points against Duke) and with DJ Horn in the key, the Wolfpack’s latest chance to beat the top seed is , they will face a formidable Boilermakers team. .
North Carolina State defeated No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 14 Oakland and No. 2 Marquette before defeating Duke in the Elite Eight.
North Carolina State University’s DJ Barnes Jr. (left) and Ben Middlebrooks celebrate after scoring against Duke in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament at American Airlines Center in Dallas on March 31, 2024. player. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
3. Alabama Crimson Tide
The name of the game for the Crimson Tide is simply “Our offense is better than your offense.” Of course, that’s pretty logical since it’s gotten this far, but Nate Oats’ team has dropped 89 points in back-to-back games and most recently defeated No. 6 Clemson in the Elite Eight.
But the phenomenal players defeated No. 1 UNC in the Sweet 16, 89-87.
Alabama’s energetic offense is powered by West Division MVP Mark Sears, who scored a team-high 23 points, including seven 3-pointers, in the Elite Eight. Nick Pringle’s ability around the rim also helps the Crimson Tide in their efforts whenever they are playing.
This team isn’t as stingy defensively as some others, but there’s no doubting their scoring ability. They will face a UConn team that has defeated opponents by double digits since winning the tournament at last year’s national championship.
Can Alabama end its losing streak, and more importantly for the Crimson Tide, can their offense finally outscore the Huskies?
Alabama defeated No. 13 Charleston and No. 12 Grand Canyon before winning the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight in the tournament.
Alabama’s Mark Sears is pictured after making a 3-point shot in the second half of a game against Grand Canyon in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Washington on March 24, 2024. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
2. Purdue Boiler Maker
You want a star player to show up in March, and that’s exactly what Purdue got from center Zach Eady.
The big man dropped 40 points on Sunday, topping Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht’s 37 points. Of course, he was also a monster on the glass, grabbing 16 boards to lead Purdue to the Final Four.
This was what many expected Purdue to accomplish as a No. 1 seed last season before a shocking loss to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson University in the first round. But it’s water under the bridge at this point.
Purdue’s Zach Eady takes a swipe at Tennessee coach, remembers those who watched over him
Currently, the Boilermakers are considering whether he could join the Virginia Cavaliers’ 2019 team that fell to the 16th seed in 2018 but went on to win the national championship the following year.
A trip to the Final Four for the first time since 1980 could at least give them a chance at a title. Purdue has a good matchup against North Carolina State. This is because Burns is the team’s top player while Eadie is at the bottom and has a clear size advantage over him.
Purdue defeated No. 16 Grambling State, No. 8 Utah State and No. 5 Gonzaga before defeating the Volunteers.
Purdue center Zach Eady holds the regional championship trophy after the Elite Eight’s victory over Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament on March 31, 2024 in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancia)
1. Yukon Husky
They will remain at the top of these rankings until UConn loses. Because they’re not just winning games, they’re dominating opponents on both ends of the floor.
Once again, UW hasn’t played a close game by the time the final score is tallied, defeating opponents by double-digit points since the start of last year’s championship. Latest? At one point they were tied at 23 points, but they conceded 30-0 and ended up winning 77-52 against Illinois, eliminating any chance of an upset.
Yes, you read that correctly. The Huskies dropped 30 points and Illinois could not match the Huskies on offense. Despite Donovan Clingan wreaking havoc in the paint and Cam Spencer confounding defenders all over the floor, Dan Hurley’s group ultimately defeated San Diego State to win its first title. He’s doing just as well as last season. Since the 2013-2014 season.
They have never faced each other back-to-back in the school’s history, but as the most dominant team in the tournament thus far, there’s a very good chance that won’t be the case when all is said and done.
In the 2024 Final Four, No. 1 UW will face No. 4 Alabama, and No. 1 Purdue will play No. 11 North Carolina State. (Getty Images)
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The school defeated No. 16 Stetson, No. 9 Northwestern and No. 5 San Diego State before facing the University of Illinois in the Elite Eight.
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