The workers have made the final preparations to the floor in the Alamodome ahead of the Men’s contests. We’re starting to feel the excitement. And we’re enjoying the team predictions coming from our Packed House Sports community. One thing is certain, fans believe their team will win!
Here’s 18 fun facts ahead of the Final Four…
- Florida’s Walter Clayton Jr. is the first Florida player to be a consensus first-team All-American. Other notable Gators players, such as Neal Walk, Dwayne Schintzius, Mike Miller, Al Horford, and Joakim Noah, have received various levels of All-American recognition, but not First-Team consensus honors.
- Auburn’s Johni Broome is Auburn’s first-ever consensus All-American.
- Cooper Flagg became Duke’s 25th consensus All-American.
- The SEC dominates, with half the men’s and women’s Final Four teams from the conference.
- The coaching generation gap: 69-year-old Sampson vs. 37-year-old Scheyer, and 65-year-old Pearl vs. 39-year-old Todd Golden.
- Sampson vs. Scheyer: Scheyer aims for 90 wins in his first three seasons, a Division I record.
- No Final Four wins yet for any coach in this field.
- J’Wan Roberts has 148 career wins at Houston, a rarity in today’s player-migration era.
- Golden, Pearl, and Scheyer are all members of the Jewish Coaches Association.
- First SEC intraconference Final Four matchup: Auburn vs. Florida.
- Duke’s 2010 Final Four history: The second-ever Final Four game on April 5.
- Transfer portal: Three players in this Final Four have played at two different schools.
- Auburn’s tough season: 11-4 against teams that made the Sweet 16, including beating Houston.
- Duke’s high ranking: Second-highest ever in KenPom rankings.
- Auburn’s 2019 heartbreak: Lost on a controversial call in the Final Four.
- Houston’s defense: Duke’s high-powered offense versus a tough Houston defense.
- The urgency: Auburn’s senior-laden team is fueled by the sense that this could be their last shot.
- Since the 1980s, the following freshmen have led their teams into the NCAA Men’s Final Four: Michael Jordan (1982), Carmelo Anthony (2003), Kevin Durant (2007), Anthony Davis (2012), Jayson Tatum (2017), and Cooper Flagg (2025).
