NCAA Basketball Tournament Final Four 2025: Teams and Their Chances for the Championship

The 2025 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament has been very eventful. The March Madness brought a lot of surprises, upsets, and dramatic moments, producing four teams with legitimate shots at securing the coveted national championship. Each of the teams preparing for the Alamodome in San Antonio has a real chance of bringing home this year’s trophy. Not surprisingly, last year’s champions UConn Huskies, led by Dan Hurley, are not among the four remaining title contenders as they were eliminated in the second round. Instead, we get to watch Duke, Florida, Auburn, and Houston battle it out in San Antonio. 

University of Duke

Key Players: Cooper Flagg (Freshman Forward), Kon Knueppel (Freshman Guard), Khaman Maluach (Senior Center)

Jon Scheyer’s Blue Devils have been touted as one of the most talented teams in this year’s tournament. Considering they have players like Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, and Khaman Maluach among others, it is easy to see why. Expert coaching and an amazing roster are the reasons why Duke is favored to win the title this year.

Many doubted that Scheyer, a first-year coach, could achieve much, but he proved them wrong in the best way possible. If his team wins the Final Four, he will become only the second coach in history who has guided his team to the national championship in his first year of coaching. The only other person managing that was Steve Fisher with Michigan in 1989. 

University of Houston

Key Players: LJ Cryer (Senior Guard), Milos Uzan (Senior Guard),  J’Wan Roberts (Junior Forward)

A perfect counter for Alabama’s offense is Houston’s defense. Head coach Kelvin Sampson has built a defensive machine that can snuff out even the most dangerous opposing offenses. Just to illustrate the point, Houston is the top team in both opponent field-goal percentage (38.2) and points allowed per game (58.3).

Offense, on the other hand, can be troublesome. All three of their opponents score on average 83-plus points per game. Houston managed that only three times this season and their slow pace can hurt them if their threes aren’t falling. 

Even though Houston doesn’t have a player over 6’8″, the team is a rebounding machine, creating a lot of second chances for scoring. That is one of their secret weapons and any team that manages to deny them will have a good chance of winning against them.

Auburn University

Key Players: Denver Jones (Senior Guard), Johni Broome (Senior Forward/Center), Tahaad Pettiford (Freshman Guard)

One of the most exciting teams to watch this season, the Auburn Tigers have been a fan favorite to win the tournament. Playing an amazing blend of defensive toughness and effective offense, Auburn has fought its way to the Final Four with incredible tenacity. 

The star of the team is Johni Broome, a player who is no stranger to adversity. Barely managing to secure a scholarship, he elevated himself from a redshirt candidate to one of the NCAA’s premier scorers. His lack of fear regardless of who is on the opposing side makes him coach Bruce Pearl’s go-to man in all clutch situations. 

University of Florida

Key Players: Walter Clayton Jr (Senior Guard), Will Richard (Junior Guard), Alijah Martin (Senore Guard) 

Florida has made it to the Final Four somewhat unexpectedly, but now that they are here, you can be sure that they will do their best to prove to everyone that they belong among the four best teams in the NCAA. 

The leading presence in Florida’s offense is, without a doubt, Walter Clayton Jr. The lethal scorer will punish without remorse any team foolish enough to give him even an inch of space. To make things even worse, Clayton is known as the best clutch player in the tournament.

Conclusion

While each team has its unique qualities that can win them the title, it would seem that Duke and Houston have the best chances. But in one-game elimination, anything is possible, and both Florida and Auburn are more than capable of surprising anyone, even the favorites.