Final Four teams have been locked in on defense all season

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Tennessee has one of the nation’s best defenses, a bruising crew who leave opponents black and blue.

Houston gave the Vols a lesson in defensive dominance in the Elite Eight.

Swarming and switching, the Cougars had the Vols feeling like they were stuck in an escape room with no exit during a 69-50 thumping.

“They do what they do,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. “That’s why they’re where they are, that’s the standard of their program.”

This year’s Final Four in San Antonio will be the second since seeding began in 1979 to have all four No. 1 seeds, joining the 2008 bracket.

All four teams can really D it up, proving the cliche true.

How much does defense matter? Of the last 10 national champions, only Baylor (22nd) in 2021 ranked outside the top 11 in defensive efficiency.

Houston is No. 1 in the KenPom defensive efficiency ratings, Duke is fourth, Auburn eighth and Florida 10th.

Duke gets a lot of attention for its offense and for good reason. With players like All-American Cooper Flagg, sharpshooter Kon Knueppel and Tyrese Proctor on the floor, the Blue Devils are going to score.

But what has made Duke such a dominant team this year has been the D to go with that O.

The Blue Devils have superb on-ball defenders, players who can switch with ease and a back-line eraser in 7-foot-2 Khaman Maluach.

Alabama learned just how good this Duke team is defensively in an 85-65 Elite Eight thumping.

The Blue Devils stuck a stick in the spokes of the nation’s highest-scoring team, holding the Crimson Tide more than 25 points below their season average and to 8-for-32 shooting from 3, two days after Alabama set the NCAA record with 25 from the arc against BYU in the Sweet 16.

“They’ve got length all over the place,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “When they’ve got a rim protector, it’s hard to get rim shots.”

Florida has a similar makeup to the Blue Devils.

The Gators have a star player in All-American Walter…

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Source link : https://www.nbcsports.com/mens-college-basketball/news/final-four-teams-have-been-locked-in-on-defense-all-season

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Publish date : 2025-03-31 16:07:00

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