The 2025 men’s NCAA Tournament Final Four is Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. Before Auburn-Florida (6:09 ET) and Duke-Houston tip off (8:49 ET, CBS), here are five predictions for the national semifinals.
We get a buzzer-beater
Maryland forward Derik Queen’s buzzer-beater that sent Maryland to the Sweet 16 was the only one of the tournament so far. A lot must happen for a game to end on a final-second made basket, but we’re wishing it into existence.
Both games are close
Building on our first prediction, we like the chances of a buzzer-beater because of the quality of the two Final Four games. For only the second time in tournament history and first since 2008, all four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final Four.
South No. 1 Auburn (32-5) and West No. 1 Florida (34-4) are familiar with each other as SEC members. Florida, a 2.5-point favorite per DraftKings, won the teams’ only regular-season meeting 91-80 on Feb. 8. The Tigers had an uncharacteristically poor performance defending the three in that one, allowing the Gators to shoot 13-of-33 (39.4 percent). This season, Auburn is tied with Florida with the 11th-best three-point field-goal percentage defense, allowing opponents to make 29.6 percent of their long-distance attempts.
Outstanding seniors lead both teams. Florida point guard Walter Clayton Jr. and Auburn fifth-year senior Johni Broome, both Wooden Award finalists, had shining moments to lead their teams to San Antonio.
In the Elite Eight, Clayton Jr. drilled three threes in the final five minutes and 24 seconds against No. 3 Texas Tech (28-9) as Florida erased a 10-point deficit in an 84-79 win, while Broome returned from a scary injury to hit a dagger three to put Auburn up 12 in its 70-64 win over No. 2 Michigan State (30-7).
If that matchup sounds good, Duke-Houston is even better. Since Dec. 1, the Blue Devils (35-3), a 5.5-point favorite per DraftKings, and Cougars (34-4) are the country’s hottest teams, combining for a 60-2 record.
Houston has won 17 consecutive games. Meanwhile, Duke’s winning streak stands at 15. Something’s gotta give in the clash of the titans. Who will budge first?
