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Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship: Elite 8 Recap

The Elite Eight of the 2025 Men’s NCAA Basketball Championship has wrapped up, setting up the Final Four on April 5 in San Antonio, Texas. For the first time since 2008—and only the second time since seeding began in 1979—all four No. 1 seeds have advanced. Auburn will face Florida, while Duke takes on Houston at the Alamodome. The last time there was an all-No. 1-seed Final Four was in 2008 with Kansas, Memphis, UCLA, and North Carolina.

(No. 1) Auburn def. (No. 2) Michigan State 70-64

Auburn advances to the Final Four with a 70-64 win over Michigan State. First-team All-American Johni Broome suffered a scare in the second half, falling on his right arm while attempting to block a shot with 10:37 left in the game. He left to the locker room for evaluation but returned with 5:29 left with his elbow wrapped. Just a minute after re-entering, he hit a three-pointer and grabbed a rebound. Broome finished with a dominant performance, leading Auburn with 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting and 14 rebounds.

Michigan State initially led 8-6 before Auburn took control going on a 17-0 run, holding the Spartans scoreless for 5:46 while forcing 10 consecutive misses. The Tigers had a 33-24 lead at halftime, and Michigan State was only able to cut the deficit to 5 points early in the second half, and never got closer. Auburn will face Florida in the Final Four on Saturday in San Antonio.

(No. 1) Florida def. (No. 3) Texas Tech 84-79

Florida punched its ticket to the Final Four with an 84-79 comeback win over Texas Tech. Star guard Walter Clayton Jr. led the charge, scoring 13 of his game-high 30 points in the final 5:24 to erase a 10-point deficit. His clutch fadeaway three-pointer with 59 seconds left gave Florida a 78-77 lead, and the Gators held on to the lead from there.

Clayton Jr. finished with 30 points on 7-of-14 shooting, adding four assists and two blocks. Florida will face Auburn in the Final Four on Saturday in San Antonio.

(No. 1) Duke def. (No. 2) Alabama 85-65

Duke dominated Alabama in an 85-65 blowout to secure a spot in the Final Four. The Blue Devils shut down Alabama’s high-powered offense, holding them to a season-worst 35.4% shooting from the field and just 25% from three-point range (8-for-32), their fourth-worst perimeter shooting performance of the season.

Duke jumped out to a 13-5 lead early and never trailed, controlling the game from start to finish. Freshman Kon Knueppel led the Blue Devils with 21 points, while top NBA prospect Cooper Flagg had 16 points and 9 rebounds. Duke will face Houston in the Final Four on Saturday in San Antonio.

(No. 1) Houston def. (No. 2) Tennessee 69-50

Houston cruised past Tennessee with a blowout 69-50 victory to reach the Final Four. Tennessee struggled from beyond the arc, missing its first 14 three-point attempts and shooting just 1-of-15 from deep in the first half. The Volunteers trailed 34-15 at halftime and never recovered.

Houston controlled the game with disciplined play, committing just five turnovers while dominating the paint, scoring more than double Tennessee’s points in the paint. The Cougars will face Duke in the Final Four on Saturday in San Antonio.

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