The Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament is set — and it’s not one many saw coming, even if it’s likely to produce a national championship game that basically anybody could’ve seen coming.
UConn is in the Final Four for the second straight year, but NC State is in for the first time since 1983, and it’s been since 1980 for Purdue. Alabama is in for the first time.
It’s an odd collection of schools.
On paper, at least, we have mismatches in the national semifinals. Matt Painter’s Boilermakers are 9.5-point favorites over Kevin Keatts’ Wolfpack in Saturday’s first game. Dan Hurley’s Huskies are 11.5-point favorites over Nate Oats’ Crimson Tide in Saturday’s second game. So it’s possible, if not probable, that neither contest will be decided in the final minute.
As always, we’ll see.
Either way, the idea that we really are just two more probable wins away from a championship game between Purdue and UConn is pretty awesome considering one of those two schools was ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll in 12 of the 20 polls that published this season. This 68-team single-elimination event doesn’t often finish with the best against the best — but it just might this year.
Want to stay up to date on all of the action? The best way to do that is to bookmark this page and keep coming back. It will update in real time and showcase the national title game just as soon as the contests dictating it conclude..
2024 NCAA Tournament scores, schedule
National Championship
Monday, April 8 — 9:20 p.m. (TBS)
State Farm Stadium — Glendale, Arizona
9:20 p.m.
(1) UConn vs. (1) Purdue
Ian Eagle / Bill Raftery, Grant Hill // Tracy Wolfson
TBS (watch live)
First Four
Tuesday, March 19
UD Arena — Dayton
Wednesday, March 20
UD Arena — Dayton
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