Kentucky Fans' Guide to the Final Four: Who to Cheer (or Boo) For

MrsTylerKSR

A March Madness banner at the NCAA Tournament - Mont Dawson, Kentucky Sports Radio

While Kentucky headed home and BBN’s focus shifted to next year’s roster, there’s still a champion to crown in San Antonio. For just the second time in NCAA Tournament history, all four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. On Saturday, we’ll have an all-SEC battle between Auburn and Florida for one spot in the championship game, followed by Duke vs. Houston on the other side of the bracket. On Monday, the winners will meet to determine the best team in all the land.

Houston’s win over Tennessee made the tournament much easier for this college basketball fan to watch. Even with all the chalk, there’s a lot of intrigue. Here’s a viewing guide if you’re still trying to figure out who to root for or are just looking forward to the games.

Updated NCAA Tournament Bracket

The Schedule

Saturday, April 5 (Final Four)

(1) Florida vs. (1) Auburn, 6:09 p.m. ET | CBS
(1) Duke vs. (1) Houston, 8:49 p.m. ET | CBS

Monday, April 7 (National Championship): 8:50 p.m. ET | CBS

Mar 25, 2011; San Antonio, TX, USA; General views of the exterior of the Alamodome, the host of the Southwest Regional of the 2011 NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Venue

The Alamodome in San Antonio will host its fifth NCAA Tournament Men’s Final Four, the first since 2018, when Villanova defeated Michigan in the national championship. San Antonio joins Kansas City, Indianapolis, New York, Louisville, New Orleans, and Seattle as the only cities to have hosted the Final Four at least five times.

I bet you have fond memories of the first Final Four in the Alamodome, when the Comeback Cats beat Utah in the championship game:

1998: Kentucky, North Carolina, Stanford, and Utah
2004: UConn, Duke, Georgia Tech, and Oklahoma State
2008: Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina, and UCLA
2018: Kansas, Villanova, Loyola Chicago, and Michigan

The court is ready, are you? 💪🏀#MFinalFour pic.twitter.com/AKmXqDI7xp
— NCAA Men's Final Four (@MFinalFour) March 29, 2025

The Contenders

Mar 30, 2025; Atlanta, GA, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl cuts down the net after winning the South Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament against the Michigan State Spartans at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

No. 1 Auburn (South)

Next opponent: Florida (Saturday, 6:09 p.m. ET, CBS)
Odds vs. Florida: +2.5
Odds to win it all: +500
How they got here:

83-63 W vs. No. 16 Alabama State
82-70 W vs. No. 9 Creighton
78-65 W vs. No. 5 Michigan
70-64 W vs. No. 2 Michigan State

Why you should cheer for them: No matter what, an SEC team will make it to the national championship game. Auburn has never won a national championship. The closest they came was the Final Four in 2019, when they beat Kentucky in the Elite Eight and lost to Virginia in the national semifinals. The Tigers won the SEC regular season championship this year and were consistently the best team in the league, beating Kentucky handily in Rupp Arena. If you’re a Bruce Pearl fan, you should root for him to win his first title (can you imagine how entertaining his celebration would be?). Johni Broome’s health could be a factor after his scary fall on Sunday (even though he returned to the game).

Why you shouldn’t cheer for them: Auburn already put a belt to the a** after beating Kentucky in Rupp. If the Tigers win a national championship, they’ll further entrench their status above the Cats in the SEC.

Mar 29, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Florida Gators guard Will Richard (5) and guard Walter Clayton Jr. (1) celebrate defeating the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the West Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

No. 1 Florida (West)

Next opponent: Auburn (Saturday, 6:09 p.m. ET, CBS)
Odds vs. Auburn: -2.5
Odds to win it all: +290
How they got here:

95-69 W vs. No. 16 Norfolk State
77-75 W vs. No. 8 UConn
87-71 W vs. No. 4 Maryland
84-79 W vs. No. 3 Texas Tech

Why you should cheer for them: One of Kentucky’s most impressive wins this season was over the Gators in Rupp Arena, a 106-100 footrace. If we’re going by the transative property, Florida winning it all would make Kentucky look that much better, right?

In all seriousness, Florida seems like a more palatable choice if you’re looking to take the SEC rooting angle. The Gators have looked incredibly impressive down the stretch, and their fans don’t seem nearly as chesty as Auburn’s. Walter Clayton Jr.’s performance in the Elite Eight vs. Texas Tech was pretty fun to watch. Florida won the only meeting this season, beating Auburn 90-81 on The Plains in early February.

Why you shouldn’t cheer for them: Todd Golden’s offense is similar to Mark Pope’s in many ways. If the Gators win it all, they’ll be an even more appealing option for players looking to play that type of system. Plus, while Florida’s Title IX office closed the investigation into sexual harassment and stalking allegations against Golden, it did not completely exonerate him. The Title IX office was only tasked with determining whether allegations occurred during university activities or as part of a university program, not whether the actions took place at all. Assistant coach Taurean Green is also still under investigation by the Title IX office for a sexual assault complaint.

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Mar 29, 2025; Newark, NJ, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Khaman Maluach (9) holds up the East Region Trophy after the Duke Blue Devils beat the Alabama Crimson Tide in the East Regional final of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

No. 1 Duke (East)

Next opponent: Houston (Saturday, 8:49 p.m. ET, CBS)
Odds vs. Houston: -4.5
Odds to win it all: +105
How they got here:

93-49 W vs. No. 16 Mount St. Mary’s
89-66 W vs. No. 9 Baylor
100-93 W vs. No. 4 Arizona
85-65 W vs. No. 2 Alabama

Why you should cheer for them: You like superstars. Duke’s got the most talent left in the field, led by Cooper Flagg. If you squint, you can pretend the 2024-25 Blue Devils are one of John Calipari’s early Kentucky teams. Also, as with Florida, you can brag that Kentucky beat the national champions.

Why you shouldn’t cheer for them: You’re a Kentucky fan that breathes air? Even with Coach K gone, it’s not fun to see Duke back in the Final Four. The Blue Devils winning the title would cement their success in the Jon Scheyer era. No thanks.

Houston Cougars forward J’Wan Roberts (13) high fives forward Joseph Tugler (11) as he comes off the court during a game against the Tennessee Volunteers on Sunday, March 30, 2025, during the Elite Eight round of the NCAA March Madness tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Houston defeated Tennessee 69-50.

No. 1 Houston (Midwest)

Next opponent: Duke (Saturday, 8:49 p.m. ET, CBS)
Odds vs. Duke: +4.5
Odds to win it all: +380
How they got here:

78-40 W vs. No. 16 SIU Edwardsville
81-76 W vs. No. 8 Gonzaga
62-60 W vs. No. 4 Purdue
69-50 W vs. No. 2 Tennessee

Why you should cheer for them: To me, the Cougars are by far the easiest remaining team to root for. They’ve never won a title, don’t compete in the SEC, and aren’t a traditional blueblood. What a comeback story for Kelvin Sampson, who resigned from Indiana 17 years ago after the NCAA announced violations against him and the program for making impermissible phone calls to recruits, which seems laughable in the transfer portal era.

Plus, Houston beat Tennessee, saving us from the Volunteers reaching the Final Four for the first time ever. Sure, they still beat Kentucky, but their victory lap isn’t quite as obnoxious considering Houston beat them handily on Sunday.

Why you shouldn’t cheer for them: You’re bitter that Houston made it out of the Midwest and Kentucky didn’t? The fact that their logo is the red version of Kentucky’s? I got nothing. Go Cougs.