The 2025 males’s NCAA Match Closing 4 is Saturday on the Alamodome in San Antonio. Earlier than Auburn-Florida (6:09 ET) and Duke-Houston tip off (8:49 ET, CBS), listed below are 5 predictions for the nationwide semifinals.
We get a buzzer-beater
Maryland ahead Derik Queen’s buzzer-beater that despatched Maryland to the Candy 16 was the one one of many match thus far. Loads should occur for a recreation to finish on a final-second made basket, however we’re wishing it into existence.
Each video games are shut
Constructing on our first prediction, we just like the possibilities of a buzzer-beater due to the standard of the 2 Closing 4 video games. For less than the second time in match historical past and first since 2008, all 4 No. 1 seeds superior to the Closing 4.
South No. 1 Auburn (32-5) and West No. 1 Florida (34-4) are aware of one another as SEC members. Florida, a 2.5-point favorite per DraftKings, gained the groups’ solely regular-season assembly 91-80 on Feb. 8. The Tigers had an uncharacteristically poor efficiency defending the three in that one, permitting the Gators to shoot 13-of-33 (39.4 %). This season, Auburn is tied with Florida with the Eleventh-best three-point field-goal proportion protection, permitting opponents to make 29.6 % of their long-distance makes an attempt.
Excellent seniors lead each groups. Florida level guard Walter Clayton Jr. and Auburn fifth-year senior Johni Broome, both Wooden Award finalists, had shining moments to steer their groups to San Antonio.
Within the Elite Eight, Clayton Jr. drilled three threes within the ultimate 5 minutes and 24 seconds towards No. 3 Texas Tech (28-9) as Florida erased a 10-point deficit in an 84-79 win, whereas Broome returned from a scary harm to hit a dagger three to place Auburn up 12 in its 70-64 win over No. 2 Michigan State (30-7).
If that matchup sounds good, Duke-Houston is even higher. Since Dec. 1, the Blue Devils (35-3), a 5.5-point favorite per DraftKings, and Cougars (34-4) are the nation’s hottest groups, combining for a 60-2 document.
Houston has gained 17 consecutive video games. In the meantime, Duke’s profitable streak stands at 15. One thing’s gotta give within the conflict of the titans. Who will budge first?
