NCAA Final Four: Which number one seed will cut down the nets?

• The men’s NCAA Final Four features the four best teams in the nation. For just the second time in nearly 40 years all four teams are No. 1 seeds.
• Auburn will face SEC rival Florida in the first matchup on Saturday, April 5, with Duke and Houston battling it out in the second game.
• On Friday, April 4, Auburn’s coach Bruce Pearl and St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino were named AP Coach of the Year.

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Four No. 1 seeds will battle in the Final Four starting Saturday, April 5, in San Antonio, Texas. The tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1986, but it has only happened once before: in 2008.

Who are the familiar foes in the first matchup?

The first matchup on Saturday, April 5, tips off at 6:09 p.m. EST, and it’s a battle of Southeastern Conference rivals. The league included a record 14 teams in the tournament, and Florida and Auburn are the two remaining.

The two teams met back on February 8 in Auburn, Alabama, and Florida fell behind by 10 points early, only to storm back and win it by nine. The three-point line was key. The Gators shot 13 for 33 from behind the arc, while Auburn made just 7 of 22. Will it play out that way a second time?

“We got to play hard, we got to defend well, we got to be physical, we have to rebound well, we got to be strong with the ball and take care of it and just do the things that we’ve done all year to make us really, really consistent,” Florida head coach Todd Golden said. “The great thing is we have shot makers on our team, and at the end of the day, you got to make shots to win the game.”

Who is the winner of the AP Coach of the Year?

Auburn now has the AP Coach of the Year, Bruce Pearl, on the bench. He won the award Friday, April 4, along with St. John’s head coach Rick Pitino. It was the first tie in the awards’ 58-year history. Pearl was thankful but clearly focused on getting two more wins, and he wants everyone to know his team is the underdog.

“Of all the teams that are here, you know, Houston has got history and tradition of winning Final Fours and being here before, and Billy Donovan won some with Florida,” Pearl said. “Now Todd’s got them back, and Duke speaks for itself. I don’t want to say this is our ‘one shining moment’ because we’ve had a couple, but this is rare.”

Who will battle in the second game of the Final Four?

On the other side of the bracket, the game between Duke and Houston will tip about thirty minutes after the first game ends. The Blue Devils and Cougars have winning streaks of 15 and 17, respectively. Something has to give late Saturday.

Duke all-everything freshman Cooper Flagg was named AP Player of the Year on Friday, April 4. He is only the fourth freshman to earn the award, joining Zion Williamson, Anthony Davis and Kevin Durant. The 18-year-old will lead the Blue Devils against the number-one defense in the country.

“It’s a surreal feeling,” Flagg said. “I think this whole tournament process so far has been kind of surreal for me. I mean, these are the moments you dream about as a little kid. You know, this is the biggest stage of college basketball, so I mean, I’m just trying to cherish these moments with my teammates that we have left. I mean, it’s the road ends here.”

How do you slow down Duke’s Cooper Flagg?

So, how do the Cougars slow Flagg down? Kelvin Sampson has been here before, too. The Cougars held Tennessee to an Elite Eight record low of just 15 points in the first half of their game in the week of March 23. Sampson spent a good three minutes during his press conference on Friday comparing Flagg to some of the greats he has coached in his 30-plus years.

“His floor is really good at everything, but his ceiling is just his size, and you know he finished with his left hand around the paint, right hand, he’s got a floater, can make a three, really good free throw shooter. If you double him, you better get there quick because he can pass.” Sampson said.

Sampson added that, at this stage, it’s all about the small details. Four No. 1 seeds, all fairly even in talent but playing with slightly different styles. There may not be any “Cinderellas” left, but Saturday and Monday, April 7, promise to deliver a few big March Madness moments.