Some of the NCAA tournament’s greatest moments in history have been created by teams that crashed the party. Cinderella teams are often the most entertaining participants each year, with the likes of George Mason, Saint Peter’s, Oakland, Mercer, Norfolk State and other underdogs creating lasting, grand memories in March.
That’s the beauty of this time of year: the overlooked always have a shot — and sometimes take it — on the national stage.
This year’s tournament is different. All tournament long it has been about chalk, and the stronger teams prevailing (with a few exceptions). And that extends to the 2025 Final Four participants, powerhouse programs who separated themselves from the rest of the field early in the regular season. Florida, Houston, Duke and Auburn were always great, and always contenders.
Their success has been rewarded with a trip to San Antonio next weekend, when one of them will be crowned the next national champion. The debate of who that will be is for another time. But here, we’ll look at how the last four programs standing rank now.
Only a handful of people can relate to Jon Scheyer’s experience of following Mike Krzyzewski, the winningest coach in the history of the game and, to many, the greatest coach of all time. Most successors to legendary coaches generally struggle to handle the pressure and the expectations that come with taking over. UCLA had four coaches in a 10-year span after John Wooden retired. North Carolina has twice witnessed rocky stretches after both Dean Smith and Roy Williams retired. Indiana has hired six different coaches since Bobby Knight’s controversial departure 25 years ago.
Scheyer has authored perhaps the most impressive transfer of power — at this stage — in college basketball history. And he’s only three seasons into the job. In his third season at Duke, Krzyzewski was fighting to keep his job after winning just three conference games. Things changed, and he built a legacy of success that has helped Scheyer. But Scheyer deserves credit for maintaining the program’s success.
This year, he’s done it with a bunch of young talent, including an 18-year-old named Cooper Flagg who should be a senior in high school right now. This era of college basketball — centered around the transfer portal and a generation of fifth-year stars due to the extra COVID-19 year — has favored teams with veterans. Yet, here is Scheyer, emerging from the shadows of his legendary predecessor and reaching the Final Four on his own with a young Duke team that ranks top-five in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency on KenPom.
Up next: vs. Houston in San Antonio (Saturday, 8:49 p.m. ET, CBS)
