Breaking down 8 teams best positioned for Final Four run in 2024 NCAA Tournament

The 2024 NCAA Tournament field has been revealed, and now every college basketball fan can take a look at their team’s path to a Final Four. The journey is never as easy as it looks on paper, but some teams got a draw which could see them make a deep run.

By default, the highest seeds are generally best positioned to make a Final Four run, but every year there is an unlikely team which gains support for their improbable path to the second weekend and beyond.

Here are eight teams which have the best chance to make a Final Four run and compete for a national championship based on the way the field unfolded on Selection Sunday.

UConn

UConn secured the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament, making them a near lock to appear on this list. The path not only starts in Brooklyn, where the Huskies are by far the closest fanbase in the grouping, but featured a pair of teams considered over-seeded by many projections (FAU/Northwestern).

From there, UConn would face the winner of a region which includes 4-seed Auburn and 5-seed SDSU. The bottom of the Huskies bracket features Iowa State, the No. 8 overall seed by the Selection Committee, and Big Ten champion Illinois.

Houston

Houston enters the NCAA Tournament as a 1-seed out of the Big 12, looking at an interesting matchup with either Nebraska or Texas A&M in the second round. Duke and Wisconsin will be favored to make the late rounds, but with no guarantee as mid-major James Madison stands in the way.

The bottom half of the Cougars region features Marquette and Kentucky, as well as Florida off an SEC title game appearance. A surging NC State team which won five straight games to win the ACC also makes an appearance.

Purdue

Purdue opens the NCAA Tournament against either Montana State or Grambling State, then seeing the winner of Utah State vs. TCU if they can advance. Kansas and Gonzaga will have no easy task reaching the second weekend with matchups against McNeese State and Samford, respectively.

Tennessee sits in the same region as the Boilermakers, as does Creighton. Oregon earned a spot in the field with a Pac-12 Tournament run and will look to keep things rolling.

North Carolina

After conversation about the final 1-seed spot, North Carolina came out on top, securing a path through the West region. Mississippi State or Michigan State will await in the second round, both considered bubble teams entering the day. Alabama also appears on the top half of this bracket, but has struggled defensively to close the season.

Arizona sits on the bottom half of the West, providing the most clear threat to the Tar Heels and setting up a potential revenge game for Caleb Love.

Kentucky

Despite being a 3-seed, Kentucky drew one of the best paths to the Final Four of any team in the NCAA Tournament. After seeing Oakland in the first round, they would face either Texas Tech or NC State. They will also have an eye on Marquette, where Tyler Kolek’s health remains a question, and Florida which just lost Micah Handlogten.

The top half of the South region features Houston, Duke and Wisconsin. If Kentucky can reach that point, they will only need to beat one of those teams on the way to Phoenix.

Arizona

Arizona draws a 2-seed in the West, giving them the de-facto home court advantage over 1-seed North Carolina if things get that far. Before that, Dayton or Nevada, then a potential matchup with Baylor or Clemson must be conquered.

The region has no shortage of upset candidates however, with New Mexico and Grand Canyon leading the way as conference champions looking to spoil the fun.

Creighton

Creighton arrives as a 3-seed in the South region, taking on Akron before a matchup with either South Carolina or Oregon. Getting two teams which would not have been projected in the field to start the season can be considered a plus although it will be no easy task.

Tennessee would need a win over Texas (or a play-in winner) to reach this matchup, making it no easy path. Purdue also sits atop the region and looks to avenge an early exit last year.

Iowa State

Despite falling to the No. 8 overall seed after winning the Big 12 Tournament with a dominant win over Houston, Iowa State has a path to the Final Four as well. Facing UConn would be a challenge, but beating an elite team is something necessary to chance titles anyway.

Washington State and Drake will be in the way early, with Illinois also looking to stop any NCAA Tournament run for the Cyclones.

More complicated paths

Tennessee, Illinois, Auburn, Marquette

These teams also have a viable path to the Final Four, but with the teams in the way there is certainly no guarantee. Every year one team overcomes the challenges of a tough draw and makes a deep run, perhaps it will be one of these four playing for a national championship.