The first half of the Final Four is set and two No. 1 seeds are through.
Florida and Duke won their regions on Saturday, with fellow top seeds Houston and Auburn set to play on Sunday.
Florida became the first Southeastern Conference team and No. 1 seed to earn a trip to San Antonio behind a clutch performance by Walter Clayton Jr.
His team trailed by nine with three minutes left when Clayton took over, hitting a pair of late 3-pointers to push Florida to an 84-79 win over Texas Tech in the West Region final on Saturday.
Clayton's heroics propelled Florida into the Final Four for the first time since 2014. The Gators will play the winner between Auburn and Michigan State, which play in Sunday's second half of the Elite Eight.
The win was the SEC's 20th of this year's bracket, breaking the record the Atlantic Coast Conference set in 2016.
Duke made sure it won't be an all-SEC Final Four. The Blue Devils shut down high-flying Alabama and overcame a rough shooting night by All-American Cooper Flagg in an 85-65 win in the East Region final.
Duke gets the Houston-Tennessee winner next Saturday.
Games to watch
Houston (33-4) vs. Tennessee (30-7), Indianapolis. Two of the nation's best defensive teams will vie for a spot in the Final Four in the Midwest Region final. Houston has been college basketball's defensive standard under coach Kelvin Sampson, allowing 59 points per game since 2018, including an NCAA-best 58.5 this season. Tennessee is top-10 nationally in scoring and field goal percentage against. Three of the four finalists for defensive player of the year will be on the floor as well: Tennessee forward Jahmai Mashack, teammate Zakai Zeigler and Houston big man Joseph Tugler. The Cougars reached their third Elite Eight in the last five years with a 62-60 win over Purdue on Milos Uzan's layup on an inbound play with 0.9 seconds left. Tennessee flexed its defensive muscles in the Sweet 16, shutting down SEC rival Kentucky for a 78-65 win. First one to 50 may win this one.
Auburn (31-5) vs. Michigan State (30-6), Atlanta. The top two teams in the South Region will play for a spot in the Final Four. Auburn coach Bruce Pearl tried to claim the Tigers are the underdog, but they're in the Elite Eight for the second straight season and spent eight weeks at No. 1 in the AP Top 25, more than any other team this season. Auburn rallied in the second half to beat Michigan 78-65 in the Sweet 16. Part of Pearl's underdog reasoning is the coach on the other side of the court. Michigan State's Tom Izzo has led the Spartans to the Elite Eight for the 11th time and is a win away from his ninth Final Four. The Spartans played with typical Izzo-like grittiness and grinded out a 73-70 win over Mississippi in the Sweet 16. This game will have plenty of talent on the floor. Auburn's Johni Broome was the SEC player of the year and is among the favorites to win national player of the year. Michigan State's Jase Richardson is a dynamic freshman guard and potential first-round NBA draft pick when he comes out.
How can I watch?
Every game of the men's tournament will be aired — here is a schedule — either on CBS, TBS, TNT or TruTV and their digital platforms, including Paramount+. CBS will broadcast the Final Four and national title game. The NCAA will also stream games via its March Madness Live option.
Who are the favorites?
The top betting favorites as the Sweet 16 arrived were (in order): Duke, Florida, Houston and Auburn, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
When are the games?
The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight from March 27-30 includes games in Newark, New Jersey (East Region), Atlanta (South), Indianapolis (Midwest) and San Francisco (West). The Final Four is in San Antonio on Saturday, April 5, with the championship game April 7.
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Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP