All four No. 1 seeds advance to Final Four in men’s March Madness

If it’s gonna be chalky, it may as well be historically chalky.

For the first time since 2008 and only the second time since the tournament expanded in 1985, all four No. 1 seeds in men’s March Madness have advanced to the Final Four.

Auburn was the last top seed to advance, dominating No. 2 Michigan State with a 70-64 win on Sunday to cap off the field heading to San Antonio for the final four-team set.

Joining the Tigers will be the Duke Blue Devils, Florida Gators and Houston Cougars, who, despite some scares, have looked impenetrable for much of the tournament and much of the season.

Of the four teams making their way to the Alamodome down in Texas, Auburn is the one with the least Final Four experience, as the Tigers have only made the National Semifinal one other time in 2019.

Though Florida has tasted success at the national level, winning back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007, the Gators have struggled to return to those heights, last making the Final Four in 2014. They almost missed out on it again, needing an incredible late-game rally to down No. 3 Texas Tech in the Elite Eight.

Meanwhile, Duke last made it in 2022 but has 17 Final Four appearances overall and is the lone Blue Blood still standing. They dominated the Alabama Crimson Tide to book their ticket.

After crushing Tennessee on Sunday with their renowned elite defence, the Houston Cougars are heading to the Final Four for the seventh time in program history. They last made it in 2021 and will advance for only the second time under 11th-year head coach Kelvin Sampson.

In 2008, the last time all four No. 1 seeds advanced, the field was highlighted by Blue Bloods like Kansas, North Carolina and UCLA, as well as a Memphis team led by NBA MVP Derrick Rose and coached by the legendary John Calipari.

Auburn will take on Florida in an all-SEC matchup, while the hotter-than-hot Duke faces off against Houston, with both games taking place on April 5.

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