It will be Miami vs. UConn and San Diego State against Florida Atlantic in next Saturday’s Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. The #4 Huskies are now the top seed left in the tournament, joined by two #5’s and a #9 seed. It’s March Madness on steroids. And it’s historic too.
It’s also just the third time since seeding began in 1979 that a #1 team has failed to reach the national semi-finals. There’s one other historic note: It’s the first time three teams will be making their first appearance in the Final Four.
Miami Advances to Face UConn
The Hurricanes erased a 12-point second-half deficit to beat #2 Texas 88-81. Jordan Miller scored 27 points including a perfect 7 of 7 from the field and 13 of 13 at the free throw line to lead Miami.
Jordan Miller was perfect against Texas to send Miami to the Final Four for the first time ever:
– 27 PTS
– 7-7 FG
– 13-13 FT pic.twitter.com/TtEo7mwj4S— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 26, 2023
Thanks to Miller’s perfect game, they’ll face favored Connecticut in the Final Four.
UConn Looks the Part of #1
The Huskies are one of only two teams since 2004 to win their first four NCAA tournament games by at least 15 points. They beat Iona by 24, slammed Saint Mary’s by 15 and overwhelmed Arkansas by 23. Then they outclassed Gonzaga 82-54 handing the Bulldogs their worst NCAA tournament defeat ever. At BetOnline, they opened as -5.5 point favorites with the total at 149.5.
Historic Cinderella Showdown on Saturday
The Florida Atlantic men’s basketball team is in the Final Four for the first time in school history.
The Owls’ next opponent in the national semifinals at Houston’s NRG Stadium will be able to say the same. No. 5 San Diego State rallied to beat No. 6 Creighton on Sunday 57-56. Darrion Trammell’s free throw with 1.2 seconds to play gave the Aztecs the win. Trammell, who was named the South Regional’s Most Outstanding Player, was fouled with time running down:
San Diego State heads to the line in a tie game with 1.2 remaining 😮#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/zRP3Hc2KGu
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 26, 2023
The Aztecs, in their sixth season under coach Brian Dutcher, did it with defense…a defense that caught Dutcher after he cut down the nets:
Brian Dutcher did a trust fall with his players after cutting down the net 🤣#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/dbRt4TD6vg
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 26, 2023
San Diego Now in the role of favorite
In some years, a No. 5 seed advancing deeper into March than it ever has before would be the Final Four’s underdog story. This year, San Diego State will be the favorite in the national semifinals next Saturday. BetOnline has opened the Aztecs as -1.5 pick over Florida Atlantic, a program that until 11 days ago had never won an NCAA tournament game.
Defense Powers the Aztecs
The common thread among San Diego State’s top teams has been an unwavering commitment to defense. San Diego State has advanced to all but three NCAA tournaments since 2010. Eight of the Aztecs’ NCAA tournament teams have featured a defense ranked 13th or better nationally.
Defense has carried San Diego State to Mountain West titles, 30-win seasons and Sweet 16 appearances. But this is uncharted territory for the Aztecs. The Alabama upset was San Diego State’s first second-weekend NCAA tournament victory.
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