There are 19.7 seconds left in the biggest game of your life. Your team is ahead by two points, and your opponent, the Houston Cougars, are preparing to inbound the ball. It has been a tight game for the entire 40 minutes, and the fans’ deafening shouts have filled your ears since the very beginning. These last 19.7 seconds are crucial and will determine whether or not your squad gets to hoist the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship Trophy. You watch as Houston guard, LJ Cryer, brings the ball up the court. The Cougars pass the ball around and just cannot seem to get a good shot off due to your team’s distinguished defense. Finally, guard Emmanuel Sharp decides to go up for a shot but has to drop the ball to avoid being called for a travel. Your teammate, Alex Condon, dives onto the ball to secure the victory. This is what was running through the minds of the Florida University Gator basketball players last Monday night during the final game of the NCAA March Madness Tournament. This final game marked the end of yet another exciting and memorable tournament.
This tournament is infamous for its unpredictable wins and losses that it brings to the sport of college basketball. This tournament never seems to disappoint with upsets and close games that keep the fans on the edge of their seats. Each year, there seems to be a “Cinderella Story” of the tournament. In other words, a low-seeded team that makes a deep run in the tournament. Some of these most famous teams are 2018 Loyola Chicago and 2022 Saint Peter’s. However, this year’s tournament did not possess one of these underdog teams. There were a few upsets, such as No. 12 McNeese State defeating No. 5 Clemson, and No. 11 Drake prevailing over No. 6 Missouri. Even though these teams did provide a few upsets, both of these squads fell short to their opponents in the following round of competition. Many fans look forward to finding and rooting for these unlikely champions, yet fans were not able to do this this year. Many people believe that the lack of these “Cinderella” teams is due to the transfer portal. According to USA Today.com’s Jordan Mendoza, “It’s rare to find continuity on any team in this day and age, but the lack of it at the mid-major level is hurting their chances of going on significant runs in March. Most Cinderella teams are full of players who have spent years together, building for the moment.” Because of the transfer portal, stars from these smaller schools are heading to larger programs, thus far not being able to create these famed, mid-major, Cinderella teams.
In this year’s tournament, another unusual event occurred; the four number one seeds were all in the Final Four. The one other time this happened was in 2008 with Kansas, Memphis, North Carolina, and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). This year’s Final Four was comprised of Auburn, Duke, Houston, and Florida. The Final Four took place in San Antonio, Texas, and was definitely one to remember.
The first showdown was between the Auburn Tigers and Florida Gators. The Gators overcame the top overall seed with a final score of 79-73. The next game, however, was arguably one of the best in the entire 2025 NCAA March Madness Tournament. This matchup was between the outstanding Duke Blue Devils and the exceptional Cougars of Houston University. At halftime, Duke was up 34-28 over the Cougars. The leading scorers were Duke’s Kon Kneuppel and Houston’s L.J. Cryer with 12 points each (ESPN). During the second half, however, Duke began to pull away and was leading Houston by 14 points. It seemed as if the game was over and Duke was heading to yet another championship game. However, the Cougars did not let up and fought their way back into the game. After many turnovers and missed free throws, the Blue Devils found themselves down by one point with 17 seconds left. Duke looked to their freshman sensation, and National Player of the Year, Cooper Flagg, to take the potential go-ahead shot. Flagg went up for a turnaround jumper and came up short. The Cougars then made two more free throws to secure the victory and head into the championship game.
These Cougars played in yet another exciting competition the following Monday night. They were up against the star-studded Florida Gators, who were not going down without a fight. This game too came right down to the final seconds, where Florida was able to top the Cougars and become the 2025 NCAA March Madness Champions.
Overall, this year’s tournament was full of unexpectedness and excitement. We did not get to see our Cinderella dance this year, but we were able to watch four outstanding teams march all the way to the Final Four and compete in games we will not soon forget. It is now time for the squads of college basketball to prepare for next year, when the madness will begin yet again.
From the sidelines to the headlines, this is Lauren, signing out.
