Florida and Duke are the first teams to secure spots in the 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four after impressive victories.
Florida’s Comeback Victory
The No. 1-seeded Florida Gators pulled off an impressive 84-79 victory over No. 3 Texas Tech in the Elite Eight on Saturday.
Despite trailing 71-61 with just over six minutes remaining, Florida launched a massive 23-8 run to seal the win. Senior guard Walter Clayton Jr. led the Gators with 30 points, while sophomore forward Thomas Haugh added 20 points. Their combined effort from beyond the arc, hitting 7-of-14 threes, proved decisive.
The Red Raiders, led by Darrion Williams’ 23-point effort, fought hard, but Florida’s sharp shooting and dominance at the free-throw line, going 25-of-27, sealed the victory.
This marks Florida’s first Final Four appearance since 2014.
Duke’s Dominant Performance
Later in the night, No. 1 Duke claimed a commanding 85-65 victory over No. 3 Alabama in the East Region Final. Freshman guard Kon Knueppel led the Blue Devils with 21 points, while projected NBA No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg contributed 16 points.
Alabama’s potent attack was limited by Duke’s defense, which kept the Crimson Tide to their lowest point total since January. Mark Sears, the star guard who had previously scored 34 points in the Sweet 16, was only able to score six points on two out of twelve shots.
With this triumph, Duke is one step closer to winning their sixth national title and returns to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 under head coach Jon Scheyer.
Source: NBC News
