The 2025 males’s Closing 4 is formally set, with all 4 No. 1 seeds — Florida, Duke, Houston and Auburn — advancing. It’s simply the second time for the reason that match expanded to 64 groups that each one 4 No. 1 seeds have made it out of their areas, becoming a member of solely the 2008 match.
If you’re a fan of seeing the perfect groups, the perfect gamers and the perfect expertise play on the most important stage for a championship, it needs to be an thrilling collection of video games in San Antonio.
All 4 groups demonstrated all season that they have been the perfect of the perfect, and their match runs have solely validated that standing.
However despite the fact that these 4 groups ought to — in concept — present the absolute best basketball for this stage, seeing the match go straight chalk robs the entire thing of a number of the magic and chaos that the match is often outlined by.
There’s a cause it’s known as “March Insanity,” in spite of everything.
It is due to the 15-seed that knocks off the 2-seed, or the double-digit seed that makes an unbelievable run to the Elite Eight, or the mid-major that by some means leads to the Closing 4.
These forms of runs was launching pads for packages to take the following step and turn into nationally related. It used to shine a highlight on a younger coach, or star participant that was sometimes hidden.
None of that occurred this season.
It isn’t simply in regards to the reality 4 No. 1 seeds made the Closing 4, both. Even earlier than this weekend’s leads to the Regional Finals, there have been virtually no Cinderella runs. The Elite Eight was made up of the 4 No. 1s, three No. 2s and one No. 3.
In the event you return via each matchup within the match, the higher-seeded group received 49 of the primary 60 video games performed.
Of the 11 cases have been a lower-seeded group received, two of them have been No. 9 over No. 8 and one was a No. 5 over a No. 4.
Possibly it is not an enormous shock that the perfect groups stored successful (they’re the higher groups, in spite of everything), but when school basketball begins to search out itself in a state of affairs the place the top-seeded groups simply robotically preserve successful, it might be sufficient to make you surprise what the purpose of a 68-team area is.
Sure, individuals wish to watch the perfect groups. However upsets and uncertainty are what actually herald viewers, create buzz and make it intriguing.
It is why you play the video games.
The dominance of the highest groups on this yr’s area has created a dialogue as to how a lot the switch portal and NIL have pushed the divide between the highest groups, the mid-majors, and the smaller colleges.
As quickly as a smaller college participant reveals they’ll hold with top-tier competitors, a burlap sack with a greenback signal on it reveals up at their entrance door and they’re off to one of many blue blood packages. So long as that retains occurring, it needs to be anticipated that they are going to preserve getting higher and the divide between the 2 tiers of packages would preserve getting bigger and bigger.
Was this season a fluke? Or an indication of issues to come back sooner or later? In the event you like surprising outcomes, intrigue and actual, precise “March Insanity” you have to be hoping for the previous.
