NEWSLETTER
College basketball’s Big Dance is ready to crown its National Champion! After a March Madness dominated by the favorites and just one Cinderella story, the Final Four is here. The road to the national championship has narrowed to just four teams, each hungry to etch their names in history.
This year’s Final Four includes a captivating blend of storylines. The UConn Huskies, the heavy favorite, seek to become the first repeat champion in over a decade. The Purdue Boilermakers, led by the unstoppable Zach Edey, are out for redemption. With the underdog Alabama Crimson Tide shooting their way to the desert and the NC State Wolfpack looking to turn Cinderella’s slipper into a trophy. Tipoff is just around the corner, so buckle up for an unforgettable weekend of college basketball!
Updated Final Four Bracket
The updated Final Four bracket sees just two 1-seeds making it to Phoenix, Arizona and a couple of surprising participants still vying for a championship.
Final Four Bracket: National Semifinals Saturday, April 6th
Final Four Bracket: National Championship Monday, April 8th
Purdue/NC State winner vs. UConn/Alabama winner | 9:20 PM ET | TBS
Final Four Bracket Schedule: How to watch the games
The Final Four will be broadcast on TBS, TNT, and truTV. The first game will tip at approximately 6:09 PM ET with the second Final Four matchup slated to get started at 8:49 PM ET.
TBS and its partner stations TNT, and truTV are available through most cable TV providers. But if you are looking to stream the games, check out Fubo TV which has different packages that include the Turner family of stations.
You can also catch the Final Four action on the NCAA March Madness Live app
Grab the latest March Madness gear at Fanatics!
Final Four Upset Picks
The 2024 Final Four includes two of the pre-tournament favorites UConn and Purdue. With two surprise teams that have played their best basketball of the season to get here. Both games have clear favorites but just like the name implies, they don’t call the NCAA Tournament “March Madness” for no reason. All four of the remaining squads are capable of winning two more games. Let’s do a quick breakdown of each matchup and see if we’re in for a Final Four Upset or two.
(1) Purdue vs. (11) NC State
Zach Edey was just named AP Player of the Year and has been unstoppable in leading Purdue during the tournament. NC State has its own big guy doing damage in DJ Burns who has been impressive in his own right, helping the Wolfpack continue their miraculous March run. NC State is playing its best basketball of the season and has defeated some strong teams to get here. That said, the Boilermakers have been on a mission since becoming just the 2nd ever 1-seed to lose to a 16-seed in last season’s tournament.
As exciting as the Wolfpack’s run has been, they’ve benefited from opponents shooting far under their season averages to reach this point. All the while not facing a single team with a player of Edey’s dominance. I think this is where Cinderella loses her slipper and NC State’s run ends.
(1) UConn vs. (4) Alabama
The freight train known as the UConn Huskies have been the most impressive team by far during the tournament. Their smallest margin of victory is 17 points and they’ve beaten their last two opponents by 27 or more points. Needless to say, UConn losing to Alabama would be a massive upset.
The Tide has turned for Alabama during March Madness as they’ve used an opportunistic defense that has shown up when needed to reach the program’s first-ever Final Four. This team can score points in bunches and lights it up from beyond the arc when they’re on. That’s where this game will be decided and why Alabama has a shot to pull off a massive upset.
In a perfect scenario, the Crimson Tide continue their late 1st-half shooting surge from their Elite 8 matchup against Clemson, and they’re able to keep the game close all night. The UConn defense is a completely different animal and has held their 10 tournament opponents this, and last year to 67 or fewer points. As fun as a high-scoring, NBA All-Star-type game would be, I just don’t see it happening which, in my opinion, makes an Alabama Final Four upset very unlikely.
