Stats and facts about the final four teams competing for the 2024 NCAA Tournament title
After two chaotic weekends and four memorable rounds, we’ve reached the end of the road for the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Two of the four teams in contention for this season’s national championship — UConn and Purdue — have been the class of play throughout the season and now have a chance to finish strong.
A title would be significant for either team: Either the Huskies become the first reigning champion since Florida (2006, ’07) and complete one of the most dominant two-year tournament runs in history, or Purdue completes a redemption tour as a No. 16 seed in last year’s first round. The disappointment of losing to Fairleigh Dickenson.
Standing in the way are two factions with their own historically-driven motivations. Alabama has never been to the Final Four, and NC State is back for the first time since winning in 1983 with Jim Valvano and the Cardiac Pack. But with all the echoes of history, regular-season records and pre- The Final Four form playing a role in setting the stage, this is ultimately a championship that will be determined by the players and coaches or, more specifically, the outcome of college basketball’s team on the basketball game’s biggest stage. Three games in between.
So the players, strengths, weaknesses and what to expect from the four teams when they hit the floor on Saturday night? (The Final Four) We’ve got that and more covered for you below in our team-by-team breakdown to get you ready for the NCAA Tournament semifinals, where it’ll be No. 1 seed Purdue vs. No. 11 seed NC State in Glendale, Arizona Saturday night against No. 1 seed UConn vs. No. 4 seed Alabama follows
(1) UConn Huskies
No team has felt more unbeatable in the 2024 NCAA Tournament than UConn, which extended its NCAA Tournament record for consecutive double-digit wins to 10 after a 25-point escape against defending Big Ten Tournament champion Illinois. Although it’s a different group than a year ago, the level of dominance remains the same with an average margin of victory of 27.8 points per game in the four wins that have forced the reigning champions back into the final four. It’s a different team, sure, (The Final Four) but it’s the same program that has dominated non-conference competition throughout the past two college basketball seasons.
Although Purdue has nearly equaled UConn in terms of regular-season success over the past two seasons, its lack of success in the Big Dance has shaped the conversation that the Huskies should lose this The Final Four; Basically, (The Final Four) the only way UConn doesn’t cut the net for a second straight season is a distraction, inconsistency or other unusual set of circumstances beyond the realm of possibility. Such a declaration is somewhat disrespectful to the Final Four participants, but entirely appropriate in light of how thoroughly UConn has been able to dispatch its competition in 40 minutes so far in this tournament.
Coach: Dan Hurley is the favorite to win CBS Sports Coach of the Year for many reasons. Among them was the ability to maintain a national-championship standard while losing three of its top six scorers from the 2023 title team, from transfer portal Cam Spencer and true freshman Stephon Castle. Winning at the highest level in the modern era requires a balance of building your roster while also evaluating the prospects that may be missing pieces in the year ahead.
Tristan Newton and Donovan Klingan have all successfully grown into bigger roles, (The Final Four ) with the rest of the rotation seeing more playing time now with some new faces in the mix. Hurley has done both player development and rookie work at the same time, and when you combine that with maintaining a culture that seems the opposite of complacency, it’s hard to find a tougher coach to beat at this point.
Best player: There’s certainly an argument for listing Klingon here — the 7-foot-2 sophomore has been dominant in this tournament run — but if UConn is going to win its final two games of the campaign, it’s going to need steady play from Tristan Newton, of First team All-American guard. Newton isn’t always the team’s primary offensive option as a scorer, but he’s a well-rounded game for a primary ball-handler and averaged 15.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 6.1 assists on the season. The Huskies have yet to be caught in a close game this late in the tournament, but if they do in the Final Four, it will be a call for Newton to step up and get the offense rolling.
Strengths: UConn’s length, athleticism and versatility make life extremely difficulty on both ends of the floor for most college basketball teams tournament. Even when facing similarly athletic opposition, the Huskies were able to come out on top thanks to the team’s connection on offense and defense. (The Final Four) Offensively, their speed set constantly probes the opponent and exploits any matchup weaknesses. Defensively, they have length to disrupt on the perimeter and can funnel all the action to their 7-foot-2 stud center Klingon, who is the nation’s best shot blocker and rim protector.
Weaknesses: It’s hard to pinpoint a weakness for a team that lost just three times all season and won every single NCAA Tournament game by double digits, but the streak in their losses has been poor shooting from beyond the arc. As a team,( The Final Four) UConn’s 35.8% 3-point shooting percentage currently rates No. 69 nationally, which is adequate but sits outside the top 20 of the 68 teams making the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Key numbers: While we point to a record 10 straight double-digit NCAA Tournament wins, even that qualifier doesn’t do justice to UConn’s dominance. Since the start of last year’s NCAA Tournament, the Huskies have a margin of victory of +23.1 points per game, which is currently tied for the best margin of victory over a two-year span since 1967-68 UCLA (+22.5). It’s a program that has trailed for just 5:50 minutes out of 320 total minutes since the 2023 Sweet 16, and it hasn’t trailed in the second half of its last eight NCAA Tournament games.
(1) Purdue Boiler Manufacturer
The Boilermakers were locked in from the start of the season, racking up a school-record 33 wins and winning the Big 10 regular-season title for the 2nd year in a row. Purdue’s dominance was so thorough and regular, it was perhaps little overlooked and taken for granted. The team led the Big Ten in field goal percentage (49.1%), 3-point percentage (40.6%) and assists per game (18.9), while also rating as one of the nation’s best rebounding teams.
Clearly, the key to unlocking their success is Player of the Year Jack Eddy, who is on pace to become the first back-to-back NPOY winners since Ralph Sampson (1981-83) and has seemingly matched his game in the rising moments, including Eddy’s Midwest Regional final against Tennessee. The 40-point, 16-rebound performance was the stuff of legend; He became the fourth player to go past 60 yards with 40-plus points and 15-plus rebounds in an NCAA Tournament game.
Coaches: No longer the answer to “best coach not to make the Final Four,” Matt Painter deserves every accolade this week as he prepares for the national semifinals. Painter has made all but three NCAA Tournament appearances since taking over prior to the 2004-05 season, but that streak has not been celebrated in each of the last three tournaments recently resulting in losses to a double-digit seed. Painter is known as a sharp basketball mind with a deep playbook, and this year he’s helped the Boilermakers improve their offense with the same pieces from a year ago. Year after year of improvement there is no reason to doubt Purdue, the team with the next best odds to win it all, as we advance to the Final Four.
Best Player: Jack Eddy The historical company he holds is kind of outrageous. Eddy became the first Division I player since Larry Bird in 1979 to reach 900 points and 450 rebounds in a season (at 926 and 452, respectively). Dating to last year, Eddy’s 1,683 points and 890 rebounds made him the first player since UNLV’s Larry Johnson to mark 1,600-800 in those categories over a two-year span. Want to talk about running this tournament in person? He is just the fourth player in the last 70 years to average 30 ppg and 15 rpg through four games in the tournament, joining Alvin Hayes, (The Final Four) Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain. Simply put, this is one of the most special college basketball players to ever put together a championship performance.
Strengths: Purdue is one of the best half-court offensive teams in the country, with AD paying plenty of attention in the post and four capable 3-point shooters on the perimeter. The Boilermakers don’t rely exclusively on 3-pointers for their offense because Eddy can often do a lot of damage inside himself or at the free-throw line. Rather, the threat of the deep ball, and the consistency with which Purdue’s shooters can knock down open shots, make them one of the toughest teams in the country to guard in a half-court setting.
Weaknesses: Like UConn, it’s hard to find glaring weaknesses with teams that win more than 30 games, but turnovers have been telling when things can go south for Purdue, which doesn’t force a lot of turnovers on defense.
Key numbers: The biggest change for Purdue from 2023 to 2024 is 3-point shooting, which currently ranks second nationally at 40.6% and, depending on how things go in the Final Four, could finish first (Kentucky’s 40.9% is No. 1 ). Last season, a rotation that was essentially the same ranked 288th in Division I at 32.2%. The threat of the 3-point shot changes how teams defend AD.
(4) Alabama Crimson Tide
One reading of Alabama’s first appearance in the Final Four is that it celebrates the rarity of the Crimson Tide’s deep NCAA Tournament run. The program had only one Elite Eight appearance before this year, and prior to Nate Oats’ arrival, Wimp Sanderson was the only Alabama coach with multiple Sweet 16 appearances. But there’s also an eye on Alabama’s Final Four debut that acknowledges a breakthrough for a program that, under Oates,(The Final Four) is knocking on the door to the game’s biggest stage. Alabama has made the NCAA Tournament in four of the five years under Oates, now reaching the Sweet 16 in three of those four tournaments.
This year’s group wasn’t as well known during the regular season, though its potential was always marked thanks to one of the best offensive ratings in the country. The style remains largely the same — play fast, shoot 3-pointers — but parts of the rotation and, of course, roles have changed. Defensive issues may have led to double-digit losses earlier in the tournament and a No. 4 seed, but what this team has got is enough defense in the right spots to lead the team to victory. Perhaps Alabama’s the Final Four appearance sets a new standard for the program.
(5) NC State Wolfpack
Something special is going on with this NC State team. How else do you explain losing 10 of your final 14 regular-season games before going on to become an all-time postseason hitter, reaching program heights not seen in a generation? First, NC State was celebrated for 5 wins in 5 days, becoming the only other program since 2011 since UConn accomplished the feat, and in doing so claimed the ACC’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
That might be enough, you might think, but a game-by-game approach has allowed seven wins in 12 days to continue. The Wolfpack had nine wins in a total of 19 days from the first round of the ACC Tournament to the Elite Eight victory over Duke. 7 of those 9 were against NCAA Tournament teams and 4 were against top 4 seeds in the field. There have been two against Duke.
Tobacco Road rivals have won nine national championships since the Wolfpack reached the Final Four, so defeating North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament and Duke in the Elite Eight sweetened the run Wolfpack fans have been waiting for. the moment.