Robert Deutsch

No. 1 seed Duke is the favorite to win the 2025 NCAA championship this week in San Antonio, Texas. An inspection of its starting lineup in comparison to the other three Final Four teams — led by Cooper Flagg — suggests its frontrunner status is warranted.

The 35-3 Blue Devils have not one, not two, not three but four starters who I consider among the 10 best among the 20 starters across Houston, Duke, Auburn and Florida. The lowest-ranked player from Duke: Sion James, an All-ACC defender and quintessential glue guy. He comes in at No. 12.

No other Final Four team has more than two starters in the top 10, but Auburn has two in the top six, Florida has two in the top seven and Houston has two in the top nine. When the Final Four consists of all No. 1 seeds, one can expect a fairly even spread of talent. That’s generally true in this case — save for Duke.

Here’s how I ranked the 20 starters leading into the final weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

Ranking the projected Final Four starters