After two thrilling weekends of NCAA Tournament action, the 2024 Final Four field is set and a field of 68 has been reduced to a mere quartet. Reigning national champion and No. 1 overall seed UConn will square off No. 4 seed Alabama, and No. 1 seed Purdue faces No. 11 seed NC State in the national semifinals. The Boilermakers are making their first appearance in the Final Four since 1980, while the Crimson Tide are appearing in their first Final Four in program history.
Only one gets to cut down the nets in Glendale, Arizona, on April 8.
UConn entered last year’s NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed with a 25-8 record after losing to Marquette in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament. The Huskies didn’t win the Big East regular-season title last year, either, but still managed to go on a dominant run of six straight double-digit victories in the Big Dance.
This year’s version of UConn won both the Big East regular-season and tournament titles to add a couple new pieces of hardware to the program’s expanding collection of trophies and banners. Clearly, the Huskies have established themselves as the team to beat in college basketball yet again.
But March Madness is about the upsets and the unexpected, and those things don’t stop after the tournament’s first weekend. The Sweet 16 was rife with chaos as well, and it would be no shock if the Final Four brings more of it. Alabama boasts the nation’s highest-scoring offense and is playing at an elite level after limping into the Big Dance following some late-season struggles.
Purdue lost last season to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament but finds itself two games away from winning its first national championship. NC State is making its first appearance in the Final Four since 1983 and on the heels of nine straight victories dating back to the ACC Tournament.
Here is the early look at what’s ahead for the Final Four. All times Eastern
(1) Purdue vs. (11) NC State
Date: Saturday, April 6 | Time: 6:09 p.m.
Location: State Farm Stadium — Glendale, Arizona
TV: TBS | Streaming: March Madness Live
About the Boilermakers
Zach Edey is the heart and soul of this Purdue team. The reigning National Player is arguably the most dominant in the sport and putting up numbers in the NCAA Tournament that haven’t been accomplished in decades. Edey is the only player to average at least 30 points and 15…
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